AC Milan boss Stefano Pioli has backed Simon Kjaer to step in and fill the void in defence with Fikayo Tomori and Pierre Kalulu absent against Inter.
The Rossoneri go in search of a fourth win in four games to start the Serie A season, as it’s hoped that the international break hasn’t disrupted our momentum.
READ MORE: How Milan could line up vs Inter: One key change, important fitness boost
Following his red card against Roma last time out, Tomori will miss out due to suspension, while Sky Sport have reported that Kalulu isn’t available either having suffered a thigh injury.
The French defender is expected to undergo new tests in 10 days, and so it’s a blow for Milan given our hectic upcoming schedule which includes the Champions League getting underway.
For Saturday though, Pioli has seemingly all-but confirmed that Kjaer will be the option to step in alongside Malick Thiaw, which isn’t all that surprising given the limited options available. The Milan boss added that Mattia Caldara is currently sidelined by injury, while Marco Pellegrino is continuing to adapt as he integrates himself into the squad following his summer move.
“Kjaer is very well and is ready to play such an important match,” Pioli told the media, as per MilanNews. “He [Caldara] has an ankle problem and I think he won’t be available for a long time.
“Marco is an attentive, disciplined and aggressive defender. He needs time to understand things, he used to play as a three. He can also play left back, I’ve also tried it in recent days.”
Given his experience and leadership, it’s hoped that Kjaer will seamlessly fill in and provide us with solidity at the back, as having a strong defensive base will be fundamental to our chances of securing all three points.
Thiaw has continued to impress this season as he steps up himself into a more prominent role, and the defensive duo will hopefully form a solid partnership in the heart of our backline and keep a dangerous Inter attack as quiet as possible.
Nevertheless, with the quality running through our side, we certainly have every chance of picking up an important early win over our rivals.
