Divock Origi has failed to impress since he arrived in the summer and amid AC Milan’s success in the Champions League, the exclusion of Zlatan Ibrahimovic has left a bitter taste.
Milan never expected to make it this far in the competition, even if they were always hopeful, and the draw for the quarters and semi-finals has skyrocketed optimism. Should they beat Napoli, then they will face Inter or Benfica in the semis.
Of course, this means that all three Italian teams are dreaming of the Champions League final. For Milan, however, it’s a bittersweet feeling as Ibrahimovic isn’t included in the squad and won’t be able to take part.
The history is too long to explain now, but those who have followed Ibrahimovic’s entire career know just how much this competition means to him. It’s the missing piece, and even if Milan are not likely to win anyway, he won’t even get the chance to try.
His exclusion is especially tough to swallow since Divock Origi, who was called up instead, has been very poor since he arrived. Ibrahimovic could have helped more, or at least that is the feeling currently.
Milan will need Origi in 2019 form, as he decided the UCL final between Liverpool and Tottenham back then. He doesn’t lack experience but we just haven’t seen any quality from him thus far, apart from a few glimpses. With Ibrahimovic out, he really needs to step up.
