AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan has undergone an MRI which has ruled out an injury after he was replaced against Newcastle Utd in our Champions League encounter on Tuesday.
There was concern after the 28-year-old signalled that he had to come off during our Champions League opener, and he was subsequently replaced in the 81st minute.
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Given he felt he was unable to continue, naturally there were initial fears that he might have sustained a setback that could result in a lengthy stint on the sidelines, but the latest update is seemingly positive.
According to Antonio Vitiello, the French international underwent an MRI on his thigh on Wednesday morning, and that has come back clear to rule out any injury, although it’s added that Maignan will now be monitored daily and so it remains to be seen if he will miss any games.
The Rossoneri face Verona on Saturday afternoon, and so it remains to be seen if Stefano Pioli will risk him for that encounter or if Marco Sportiello will get the nod and deputise to give Maignan a chance to recover and receive any necessary treatment.
It’s the start of a busy schedule though as we travel to Cagliari next Wednesday before hosting Lazio a week on Saturday, with the Champions League resuming the following week too.
In turn, while it’s positive that Maignan hasn’t suffered a severe injury that will rule him out for a significant period of time, there is still uncertainty as to when he might be available again.
Given his influence and quality between the posts, it’s clear that we are a better side with him in it, and although we have a more capable and reliable option to step in this year if he is sidelined, ideally he’ll be at Pioli’s disposal as soon as possible.
We’ll likely hear more from the Milan boss on Maignan in his pre-Verona press conference later in the week, and hopefully it will be positive as we can ill-afford any setbacks to key individuals.