Ismael Bennacer is continuing his recovery from the surgery he underwent on his calf, and he could be the new addition to AC Milan’s midfield in January.
Calciomercato.com point out how Tijjani Reijnders and Youssouf Fofana have often been asked to work overtime this season because of the absence of midfield depth, and part of that is because of Bennacer’s injury.
Bennacer flew to Qatar in Doha around October 20th in agreement with Milan to complete his rehabilitation program at the Aspetar clinic (already attended two years after his knee injury) after the surgery to repair the torn muscle of his calf.
The former Empoli man reassured his followers with a post on Instagram that reads as follows: “Hi everyone, I’m here in Aspetar and I’m continuing my rehabilitation to get back on the pitch, I hope to see you again soon. I thank everyone for the support you’ve shown me, I’ll come back stronger.”
Bennacer has shown himself more determined than ever to get back to a high level after being plagued with injuries in the past two seasons. He will complete the final phase of his rehabilitation at Milanello and should be available to Fonseca between the end of December and the beginning of the new year.
It is a potentially important recovery but it will also depend on the motivations of a player who asked to be sold in the final days of the last summer transfer window, amid interest from Atletico Madrid and Marseille.
The relationship between Bennacer and the club needs to be clarified, because Paulo Fonseca needs player with the technical quality and experience he has. Otherwise, it will be necessary to dip into the transfer window.
Comes back by January, gets in some semblance of a form by may, get injured in August.
Love benny, but, this cycle can’t keep happening. Sell alway in the summer.
Look at you making a competent comment. Big week
Benny and Frendrup/Ricci should solve midfield
Puli needs to be re-evaluated as CAM, he currently 50-50 for me. So either a CAM (Lewis Ferguson) or RW’s (Gnoto) addition should solve what’s left.
Tomiyasu in the summer and a ST if Tammy fails to impress (still 6-7 months to go). Thiaw/Tomori should also be re-evaluated and maybe Scalvini as one of to replace either.
I agree re Pulisic at CAM, but Gnonto at RW? And then were does Pulisic play? Gnonto isn’t going to come to sit on the bench.
Tomiyasu? Lol. Arteta rates him. Why would he leave high paying, high EPL flying Arsenal to come to Milan, and how much would we have to pay for it? Plus his injury record has been terrible at Arsenal. We have enough of these of our own.
I love Samuele Ricci
But looking at the numbers and Fonseca’s system, I think Rovella (in the summer of course) would be a more sensible addition to the team.
Still don’t mind neither one. But I really prefer having a few more Italian players on the squad list.
He is 10% of what he was a few seasons ago. It hurts to watch him.
I don’t know if it’s feasible, fut it’s better to try to sell him in January and get another midfielder instead (Ricci and/or Frendrup). Add Loftus-Cheek while you’re at it.
Although I don’t really think any team is going to buy a player who just came back from an injury, so let’s not drive a hard deal.
If he’s still here till the end of the season, we should definetly sell him in the summer.
There are 2 issues: he might magically bounce back, or just raise his value enough to sell him for huge sum in the summer. January sale imo doesn’t make sense.
Frendrup and Gnoto would be perfect additions. Latter giving Puli more freedom to be CAM.
Bro, trust me, I did like Bennacer a lot. But right now he is just an injury in the waiting and can’t get back in shape.
I tried to maintain hope during the summer, but it took him less than 2 games to get absent for monthes.
The defence is Fonseca’s main issue.
Sad to see him like this again but it might be time to part ways as he’s taking up an important spot in the team. Problem is I have no confidence in our management to get a suitable replacement
I like Isma a lot. But he rarely plays for us. When he’s not injured he is playing in Africa with his national team, and then he comes back injured again.
He will be the January addition… and the February injury scratch.
When the injuries come so often, the result is that you don’t have the time to recover your form before the next one.
Bennacer will never again be the competent midfielder he once was. His body has failed him and there is no coming back from that.
As much as I think it is sad, if any club is silly enough to want to buy him, we must sell immediately, for whatever is being offered, before they sober up and realize that it’s a bad investment for them. Don’t even negotiate. Is there an offer? Just say yes and get it done before the buyers retreat.
Oh, and Atletico Madrid and Marseille were interested, but before still another serious injury, They will no longer be interested; they are not that stupid. If we get any offers, they will be from some minor league like the Turkish one.
I really like Bennacer and if he was his old self he would be our best midfielder in the centre of the park but he isn’t, injuries have turned him into half the player he was and that’s just when he lucky enough to get on the field off the sick bay. I think he needs a change of scenery and Milan need a more dependable replacement but with Milan’s recruitment strategy there’s a good chance his replacement will be even worse than he is now
Too many injuries.
‘Since December 2020, the Algerian has missed over 400 days due to injuries – of course, the major one being the knee injury suffered in the Champions League against Inter which sidelined him for almost a year. In that time, he has missed 65 matches for several different reasons.’
We will have to replace; not miss the window…