A dilemma in defence – the numbers of Kjaer-Gabbia and Thiaw-Gabbia compared

One of the selection dilemmas that Stefano Pioli must resolve in view of tonight’s game against Roma is which centre-back pairing he will go with.

According to various reports, it is currently Malick Thiaw who is ahead of Simon Kjaer in the battle to start alongside Matteo Gabbia, with Fikayo Tomori suspended and Pierre Kalulu out injured.

Thiaw missed the last game against Lecce due to a foot problem but returned to group training on Tuesday, while Kjaer has recovered from a problem he sustained over the international break with Denmark.

Who should start alongside Gabbia? Well, the numbers from Sky (seen below) show that Gabbia-Thiaw have only played together eight times as a pairing and have started together only twice. Five victories, one draw and two defeats have come in that time, at an average of two points per game.

On the other hand, Gabbia-Kjaer is a pairing that has been seen 28 times and 23 times from the start, with a remarkable 21 victories in that period, plus four draws and three defeats to leave 2.39 points per game average.

Of course, it can be argued that the Italian and the Dane having had a much bigger sample size has allowed them to build chemistry, yet Pioli seems inclined towards giving the German a chance.