PARMA Mirante Zaccardo, Paletta, Lucarelli Rosi, Parolo, Morrone, Galloppa, Gobbi Pabon, Belfodil

AC MILAN Abbiati Abate, Bonera, Mexes, De Sciglio Ambrosini, De Jong, Nocerino Robinho, Pazzini, El Shaarawy

San Siro breathed a collective sigh of relief following AC Milan’s 2-0 victory over Cagliari on Wednesday night and one man in particular puffed his cheeks more than most.

The result was only Milan’s second win of the season inside its opening five Serie A fixtures and with vice president Adriano Galliani delivering the dreaded vote of confidence in support of beleaguered coach Massimiliano Allegri a little over a week ago, the three points could not have come at a better time.

Interestingly, the win arrived with the 45-year-old trainer in the stands as he served a one-match touchline ban, and he will be keen to prove that he can replicate that success once again with him dictating proceedings from the dugout.

Standing in his way of doing just that is Parma and given its own middling opening to the campaign, Milan will have few better opportunities of recording back-to-back victories.

Goals have been in short supply for Roberto Donadoni’s side since the return of Sebastian Giovinco to Juventus over the summer, following a season-long loan spell at the club. Just five have been scored inside the same number of league games and that statistic could well be their undoing on Saturday.

Parma will be without Jaime Valdes through suspension, while Fabiano Santacroce and Rafaelle Palladino miss out through injury.

Milan trio Alexandre Pato, Mathieu Flamini and Sulley Muntari remain absent through injury, as the two sides look to kick-start their respective campaigns.

• Milan’s victory over Cagliari on Wednesday evening was its first at San Siro this season, with the club making its worst home start to a campaign for 82 years.

  

• The Rossoneri may well have made a poor start but their battling qualities remain. Three of their six league goals have been scored between the 76th and 90th minute.

• Giampaolo Pazzini is Milan’s top goalscorer with three goals, but all of those strikes came in the 3-1 victory over Bologna.

• Goals have been hard to come by for Parma – Donadoni’s side has hit the back of the net just five times in its opening five Serie A matches.

• No Crociati player has scored more than a single goal to date, with five different goalscorers getting themselves on the scoresheet.

• The Stadio Ennio Tardini has been half empty for their opening two Serie A home games, with an average attendance of 15,375 in a stadium that can house up to 27,906 supporters (though presently only 23,045 are authorized).