AC Milan boss Stefano Pioli has been handed a key injury boost ahead of our return to action next month, but it’s not quite as positive for another important pair.
With the World Cup break now concluding, the Rossoneri return to Serie A duties on January 4 against Salernitana as we look to close the gap on league leaders Napoli.
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Pioli and the players will know that we can ill-afford to drop any more points in the second half of the season such is the deficit and Napoli’s form prior to the break, and so it’s important that we get a fully-fit squad available and rediscover our best form as soon as possible.
Fortunately, there is good news on the injury front as Antonio Vitiello reports that Davide Calabria has almost completed a full training session with the rest of the group as he edges closer towards a full recovery and being at Pioli’s disposal once again.
We certainly missed his presence in the side during his absence, with his experience and defensive solidity needed moving forward along with his leadership in key moments.
While that was the positive part of the injury update, it was also reported that both Mike Maignan and Divock Origi were limited to gym work on Wednesday as we wait for them to show sufficient progress to be back in contention next month.
Maignan’s ongoing calf issue is a concern as he has been severely limited so far this season having made just nine appearances and we’ve undoubtedly missed him between the posts, while Origi was signed to provide an important option up top and depth for Pioli, but he has also been restricted due to injury woes.
Particularly with absentees elsewhere up front with Zlatan Ibrahimovic also sidelined while Olivier Giroud will need a break following his World Cup exploits, it’s crucial we start seeing more positive updates in the next fortnight as others try to follow Calabria’s lead and put themselves in the mix starting with our trip to Salernitana.
Time will tell if the club is planning to be active in the January transfer window, but one thing that is certain at this stage is that we simply can’t afford to continue to be weakened by injuries moving forward if we are to compete for major honours this season.
