I guess 4-4-2 again with same line up as Sampdoria match except Abate in for the injured Calabria. Either that or back to 4-3-3 if Hakan and Jack are back as I don't see Rino dropping Jack if he is fit.
I think the conundrum that we have is that we need a front two. Higuain played especially well with a partner who he can link up with. Cutrone is excellent both at the link up and the finishing. Castillejo can get there as well. If we get Ibra during the winter break we will have enough personnel up front with Borini and Tsadjout as emergency back ups or rever to single striker.
Suso needs to be accommodated as our player who can conjure something out of nothing, our assist king - and he can only play wide right. He does not defend that much and his workrate isn't great but he is trying this season to do so.
Someone mentioned the asymmetric 4-3-3 ala the French World Cup winning team earlier this year. Laxalt is good in this position but is not used to moving inward so much - he improved in the second half. Jack or Hakan try, but they wouldn't be able to provide as much cover for midfield.
Biglia needs to be in front of the defence in a screening role and Kessie needs to protect that gap in between of Musacchio and the right back.
All in all, it would be great if we could play a 4-5-2. But of course we can't.
I hate back threes and I don't think Rino could manage it, and Romagnoli was not comfortable with it during the first half of last season, and we would lose RR's attacking skills if he was on the left of a back three, but if you think about it, Musacchio, Caldara and Zapata can all play in a back three so an asymmetric 3-5-2 might actually work for the players we have if Rino could figure it out.
Never liked 3 at the back though - I just wonder what is the best way to accommodate our best players. When Paqueta comes it would be difficult to shoe-horn him into the 4-4-2.