Tim Weah looking to make his mark against his father’s old team as Juventus plays Milan

MILAN (AP) — Tim Weah is again looking to score at the iconic San Siro, this time against the team his father starred for.

Juventus visits AC Milan on Saturday and Weah is likely to be moved up front for the Bianconeri, in the absence of the team’s top scorer Dusan Vlahovic.

Vlahovic, who has nine goals this season, was injured while on international duty with Serbia and will miss the trip to Milan along with Gleison Bremer, Nico Gonzalez, Arkarius Milik, Douglas Luiz, Juan Cabal, and Vasilije Adzic.

“All my players have different characteristics, that go beyond whether they’re a center forward or a midfielder,” Juventus coach Thiago Motta said on Friday. “That’s interesting because it gives us alternatives, different solutions, that’s how it will be tomorrow too.”

Motta will be hoping to have Vlahovic back for Wednesday’s Champions League match at Aston Villa in the but in his absence — and that of fellow forward Milik — Weah is expected to start as the lone striker for Juventus.

The United States international, who normally plays on the right wing, was tested out up front by Motta in a friendly match against Juventus’ Under-17 side in midweek and he netted two goals.

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It will be particularly significant if Weah starts in that role at San Siro as that was the position his father, former FIFA Player of the Year George Weah, starred in for Milan.

George Weah netted 58 goals and provided 36 assists in 147 matches for the Rossoneri.

He could be at the stadium on Saturday to watch his son, just as he was in Turin to see the 24-year-old Tim score against Torino to help Juventus to a 2-0 derby victory before the international break.

That was Weah’s fourth league goal of the season, with three of them coming in the past four matches — including at San Siro in a 4-4 draw against Inter Milan — as he hits peak form after recovering from an injury at the start of the season.

Weah also netted for the United States on Monday in a 4-2 win over Jamaica.

“I like everything about him at the moment, everything he does,” Motta said about Weah. “I really like it that he’s scoring. That’s very important for the players.

“He’s a very interesting player, because he gives you a lot of alternative solutions. He can play on the right and on the left. He’s generous and responsible. He understands what the team needs and gives it that. We’re happy that he’s with us and he must continue like this.”

With Weah having made only made eight league appearances, three of them as substitute, his goals-to-minutes ratio is actually better than Vlahovic’s.

A fifth goal of the season would see Weah equal his personal best, set when he was playing for Lille in 2020-21.

It is a far cry from the timid winger who scored just one goal in 35 matches across all competitions in his debut season for Juventus after signing in 2022. Part of that could be down to the team’s coaching change, as Weah has flourished under Motta’s fluid system, compared to that of the more defensive-minded Massimiliano Allegri.

Juventus remains the only unbeaten team in Serie A after 12 matches and is only two points behind leader Napoli in a tight league table.

Milan is six points further back but has played a match less.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer