An update has arrived regarding the condition of defenders Davide Calabria and Simon Kjaer after they underwent some further checks today.
Sky (via Francesco Nasato) report that the scan Calabria underwent this morning showed a proximal myotendinous lesion of the hamstring of the right thigh, and therefore he is facing around three months out thus ending his 2022 early.
For Kjaer the news is a bit more positive, as the Danish defender was found to have a low-grade injury to the right hamstring. The player will be re-evaluated in about a week, and Sky think that he could therefore be missing for 15 days.
The double injury is certainly a blow for Pioli’s plans as there is not the option of fielding Alessandro Florenzi nor shifting Pierre Kalulu to right-back while Kjaer is out too, meaning it will be up to Sergino Dest to work overtime in the next couple of games at least.
Thiaw or Gabbia as CB and Kalulu as RB. Dest shouldn’t be allowed to enter the pitch or the defense will leak.
Agree what’s Thiaw there for? Put him in and let’s go.
That’s why a coach should learn to have confidence in his players, both Calabria and Kjaer were not 100% fit for this game, he should have rested them, even having Kjaer in the team makes the defence vulnerable, he is slow and not fully fit, and it shows, even if he wanted to rest Kalulu, couldn’t he have used Thiaw or Gabbia for this game…??
Exactly @Usman Yusuf.
If Pioli had shown faith in the other players, the back 4 should have been Kalulu, Tomori, Gabbia & Balo-Toure.
Note: Balo-Toure only got to play because Theo was not available. Pioli overworks players and it shows it’s a trust issue. With the way fixtures are this season, rotation was always going to be crucial.
Yet, Pioli can’t trust Gabbia against Empoli. He can’t play Thiaw. He refused to give Adli and Vranckx against Empoli. Even Pobega ought to have played that match. Imagine if one of Bennacer or Tonali had picked up an injury?
Rotation was everything. Thiaw, Adli, Vranckx are not registered for UCL. Gabbia and Pobega are subs. These guys should have started against Empoli. It’s good to win, but at what cost? It’s better to lose with your second team and they gain experience. In all honesty, I don’t think those guys would have lost anyway.
Exactly. Rest ’em before it’s too late. Again.
Dest was one of the only players to play well for USMNT during the international break making some nice dribbling runs forward and delivering very nice/accurate crosses (something Calabria isn’t as good at as Dest or Florenzi). No question Calabria is better defensively; but it is unfair to say Dest is terrible based on conceding a penalty to Kvara of Napoli who NOBODY can contain. Kvara completely embarrassed 3 different centerbacks of Liverpool and has been unstoppable and both Calabria and Kjaer got beat badly by him in that match too and were forced to grab his shirt and get an obvious yellow card. It’s too hard to say Dest can’t defend based on that one performance and conceding that pen.
“but it is unfair to say Dest is terrible based on conceding a penalty to Kvara of Napoli who NOBODY can contain.”
Calabria did keep Kvara in his pockets the whole game. Kvara was totally MIA until Dest came in.
bb, so when Kvara easily beat Calabria the time Davide had to grab his shirt and concede a yellow card or the time that he did the same to Kjaer and he had to concede a yellow card — you went to the bathroom during those parts of the match I guess? Or causing the other team to take 2 yellow cards after they’re beat still means you’re “MIA”? Also, he beat Calabria another time too but Davide was bailed out by a teammate. Davide did win one very nice tackle on him (and that got a big roar out of the crowd I recall). Anyway, as I acknowledged, Dest’s strength is more offensive then defensive (especially as compared to Calabria); but I think it’s unfair to judge him on conceding one penalty against a guy who is super hot. Not sure if you’ve watched other Napoli matches in Serie A or the Liverpool match; but he’s been nearly unstoppable.
Guys, let’s see how it all shakes out. It seems as though there are a few combinations Pioli can try. Can’t judge it beforehand. Maybe it’s Thiaw at CB and Kalulu at RB. Maybe it’s Kalulu at CB and Dest at RB. Maybe both combos will be tried in different games. Who knows. Just back the team. It’s all we can do. The title last season was unexpected and it has raised the bar a little to high amongst some supporters. Given the injury/depth situation this year (again), the squads is performing excellently and perhaps you can say miraculously. Just back them. Milan is like Rocky v. Ivan Drago in the middle rounds, just getting pounded but getting up each time. We will get through this.
M GaBBIA he is very good shape with F, TAMORI and KALULU RB and it will be. Fantastic forza milan give the chance for GABBIA
I think people are forgetting how bad Gabbia has been for us in the past.