AC Milan will be without Zlatan Ibrahimovic again this weekend due to injury, as question marks perhaps start to be raised over his future at the club beyond this season.
The 41-year-old has been a fundamental presence for us throughout his second stint at the club, and aside from his impact on the pitch, his experience, leadership and winning mentality saw him play a decisive role in guiding a young squad forward and to the success we enjoyed last season.
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Ibrahimovic scored eight goals and provided three assists in 27 appearances last year, but he battled knee and Achilles problems during the course of the campaign which limited his influence on the side.
Things have become progressively worse in terms of setbacks this season, as knee surgery forced him to wait until last month to make his first appearance of the campaign, although he had featured in the last four consecutive Serie A outings and made a long-awaited return to the starting XI prior to the international break.
As per MilanNews though, the Swedish international is expected to be ruled out for around two weeks after suffering a thigh injury while on international duty, and so there will now be further frustration for all concerned as Ibrahimovic won’t be available for a crucial run of fixtures and time will tell just how many games he now misses with the latest setback.
Those key attributes noted above are still all relevant and key to our ongoing progression, but with his contract set to expire this summer, Milan have a big decision ahead of them on whether or not to extend his stay again.
If Ibrahimovic is willing to accept a lesser offer in the event that Milan look for him to take a pay-cut as his influence and impact continue to wane, then perhaps it might make sense to keep him and hope that his injury record improves next season.
However, when is the cut-off point where Milan need to move on and recruit a long-term solution? According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Olivier Giroud will put pen to paper on a contract extension soon to ensure he stays, so does Ibrahimovic still have a role to play for us next year?
The sentimental aspect of it says yes, and if he stays fit – and that’s a big if – then he is still clearly a leader, a stalwart and a high level player that can impact games positively even at his advancing age.
That said, as Milan continue to run a tight ship in terms of the outlay on transfers and look to be sensible in the market, does Ibrahimovic still form part of the long-term vision?
Ultimately, there is a sense that a deal will get done. Ibrahimovic means too much to the club and the management value him too highly to perhaps walk away without putting an offer on the table. The importance of what he has contributed to help lead us to success shouldn’t be underestimated in this context, but as reliability continues to become an increasingly prominent concern, Milan have to decide if it’s the most sensible choice for us to extend.
