4-2-3-1 is getting dumped. Only a question of how long kessie and bennacers legs hold up. Tonali and krunic aren't subs for a double pivot. Any team that would apply minimal amount of high pressure will expose them.
I guess Hakan will be sacrificed to lcm and we will see formation:
Rebic - ibra - Diaz/saele
Hakan - tonali - kessie/Benny
And if kessie and Benny are both out then we will see a grand rcm experimentation with saele, krunic and even Calabria being tried there.
If Kessie and/or Bennacer are missing then a switch to 3 man midfield would make even less sense.
If there's a shortage of proper midfielders then adding a 3rd midfield spot will only amplify the problem.
The best way to deal with limited midfielders is by limiting and simplifying their role.
That's what Seedorf's and Miha's stints taught us.
The midfield problems were mitigated when De Jong and Monto were confined to mainly defensive tasks and the advanced midfielder was replaced with a proper attacker.
The mezza'ala role is harder to pull off than a shared CDM role. Few midfielders are skilled and smart enough to handle the freedom and responsibility.
Cristante and Poli are huge liabilities as mezz'ala, but tolerable as DMs. Even Bertolacci is less of a liability as pivot than as the advanced midfielder in a 3 man midfield.
Tonali and Krunic seem to be of that ilk.
Hakan - tonali - kessie/Benny
That would ruin Hakan, expose Tonali and highlight Kessie's flaws.
