Having been apart for two months, Ismael Bennacer and Franck Kessie are getting ready to warm up their engines together again in view of the upcoming derby.
Milan have had to deal with several emergencies in various departments already this season from the attack to the defence but especially passing through the midfield, where only Franck Kessie has been a virtual ever-present.
As MilanNews writes, we are now entering a fundamental period in the season in which head coach Stefano Pioli needs to be able rely on the key men. The duo who play the double pivot in the 4-2-3-1 formation are much more fundamental than most imagines.
Their work is tiring on both sides of the ball as their game must be built around pressing, tackles, recovering the ball, driving play forward, distributing, pressuring and much more. They are the engine of the team, and they are huge in deciding what pace that engine runs at.
Ismael Bennacer and Franck Kessie are a pair whose unique and well-defined characteristics blend perfectly, the report adds, as the Algerian is the brain who passes, dribbles, drives, intercepts and manages the ball while the Ivorian is the sword who scores, disrupts and uses his physical overwhelming power.
In the last two months Bennacer has been unavailable with a muscle injury, and Tonali, Krunic and Meite have tried to replace him without really reaching the same levels. Now he is back, and starting on Saturday in Spezia he will have a change to warm up his engine in the hope of being firing on all cylinders ahead of the derby in 11 days.
