AC Milan boss Stefano Pioli could reportedly be dealt an injury blow as Mike Maignan may miss our next two or three games.
The Rossoneri goalkeeper sustained a muscle injury during the warm-up prior to our clash with Juventus last weekend, and was subsequently unable to feature in Turin.
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As per MilanNews, the French international is expected to be reevaluated next week, thus sidelining him for our encounter with Genoa this Sunday, but it had been hoped that he would be able to feature in the following fixture against Cagliari, with just four games in total remaining in the current Serie A season.
However, that has now been put in doubt as it’s reported by Sky Sport Italia’s Manuele Baiocchini that Maignan could miss the next two or three games with his current injury, the latest in a long list of fitness issues that the 28-year-old has had over the past two seasons.
“During this season he has played more, in fact collecting 40 appearances, but he has already missed seven games and with this injury he will miss the next two or three league matches,” Baiocchini is quoted as saying.
Maignan has made 42 appearances so far this season and so his reliability has been improved compared to last year when he featured just 29 times across all competitions.
Given how influential he has been for us since he arrived with not only his shot-stopping ability but his leadership at the back and distribution, it’s always a setback to be without him, and it will be no different in our upcoming games if he is indeed set for a prolonged stint on the sidelines.
That said, Marco Sportiello stepped in against Juventus and was awarded the Player of the Match award for his performance, and so it’s hoped that if he is called upon to deputise against Genoa, Cagliari and perhaps even Torino through to mid-May, he can replicate that level and give us a solid option between the posts.
There’s no denying that Maignan’s injury history is a concern, particularly given how important a presence he is for us, and so it’s hoped that he can avoid similar setbacks in the future.
