Vučinić to rotate Montenegro’s lineup and play three forwards against Armenia

Montenegro head coach Mirko Vučinić has announced changes to his starting lineup for the Nations League Matchday 2 game against Armenia. His team will, however, retain the three-forward setup it used in the 2–1 win over Cyprus.

“We will play with three forwards. You can decide for yourselves how attacking that is. What matters is that everyone runs, fights, acts as one and shows unity. That is what I demand from the players,” Vučinić said at the pre-match press conference.

The match in Yerevan will be Montenegro’s second in 72 hours and the second of four games in a short period. The coach confirmed that the demanding schedule would affect his team selection.

“There will be changes. We will replace one player in each line of the team. We’ll see whether any further changes are needed,” he said.

Both teams began the competition with wins: Armenia beat Latvia 2–0, while Montenegro defeated Cyprus 2–1. Vučinić expects the hosts to look to attack, but believes the pattern of the game will also depend on his side’s performance.

“At home, they always aim to win. They have beaten us here twice, but we’ll see what happens this time. A lot depends on us — whether Armenia can attack more and have more possession,” the coach said (vjesti.me).

Vučinić identified a win in Yerevan as Montenegro’s immediate aim and first place in Group C2 as their goal for the competition. He also stressed that the Matchday 2 result would not settle the group: the contest would continue whatever the outcome.

Montenegro will be without midfielder Milan Vukotić. After playing around half an hour against Cyprus, he suffered an injury and remained in Podgorica. According to the available information, Vukotić will miss the remaining three matches of this international window, including both games against Armenia on September 28 and October 5.

Armenia vs Montenegro will take place in Yerevan on September 28, kicking off at 20:00 local time.

Yeghishe Melikyan ahead of Montenegro match: “A win would settle many things, but avoiding defeat is important too”