AC Milan were hoping that they would have four starter-level players for the midfield heading into this season, but Tiemoué Bakayoko continues to struggle.
Read SempreMilan ad-free and get access to exclusive news. Click here for a free trial!
MilanNews writes how due to injuries and selection choices the Frenchman has played only 307 minutes across 12 appearances so far, with four yellow cards. Bakayoko missed 7 games due to muscle injuries between mid-September and mid-October (5 in Serie A and 2 in Champions League) and it appears that he is not in the best condition.
The Africa Cup of Nations next month and the subsequent departures of team-mates Franck Kessie and Ismael Bennacer means that Pioli has to prepare and has to put trust in Bakayoko, hence why he has been a starter in 3 of the last 4 league games against Sassuolo, Salernitana and Udinese.
However, he was taken off at half-time in each of the games as he struggles to impress and the dominant Bakayoko that the Rossoneri fans remember under head coach Gennaro Gattuso is a distant memory now. That said, in 2018-19 he was able to overcome initial difficulties and he is expected to recover form again, so he can at least be relied upon when needed next month.
READ MORE: Udinese 1-1 AC Milan – Five things we learned – toothless, error-prone and tired