AC Milan vs Atalanta preview - Bonaventura wary of Atalanta threat

AC Milan midfielder Giacomo Bonaventura has warned his team-mates to expect a stern test when his side takes on his former club Atalanta on Sunday at the San Siro.

Bonavenutra will face Atalanta for the first time since leaving the Bergamo outfit in the summer.

"For me this game is going to be different from the rest," Bonaventura told acmilan.com. "I'm very fond of Atalanta and of the city of Bergamo.

"It's going to be an emotional day for me.

"Atalanta have good players and they have earned the respect of top teams in recent years with good performances.

"We will have to impose our play if we are to beat them."

Milan head into the contest having celebrated their first win of 2015 in Tuesday's 2-1 triumph over Sassuolo in the Coppa Italia round of 16.

"We are happy to remain alive in the Coppa Italia," Bonaventura said. "We know we will face stronger teams from now on in that competition.

"Now we shift our focus to Serie A.

"We have to recover the ground we have lost in recent weeks and we are preparing well for Sunday's match."

Milan have won just one of their last nine league games and last weekend's 1-1 draw at Torino dropped the Rossoneri to eighth place, five points adrift of Lazio, who hold the last Champions League qualifying spot.

AC Milan coach Filippo Inzaghi will be without Cristian Zapata for a month after the Colombian centre-back fractured a bone in his foot against Sassuolo.

b Moreover, defender Mattia De Sciglio is also sidelined for four weeks with plantar fasciitis.

Rivals Atalanta travel to Milan looking for their first win of the year.

The Bergamaschi, who finished 11th in the 2013-14 campaign, have won just three of their 18 league games this season.

Their 1-1 draw against Chievo last time out left Atalanta 17th in the standings, one place and two points clear of the drop zone.

Atalanta coach Stefano Colantuono will be without the services of defender Gianpaolo Bellini, who is suspended.