On the eve of Milan’s encounter with Roma, Stefano Pioli hosted the usual press conference at Milanello. The manager was asked about various topics, sharing his thoughts ahead of tomorrow’s game.
The Rossoneri managed to beat Lecce with a convincing 4-1 scoreline last time out, converting their chances as opposed to what we have seen for most of this season. As cited by MilanNews.it, Pioli spoke about the essentials needed tomorrow.
“It’s very important to read the moments of the game. Tomorrow we will play in a great heat, we will have to regulate our strength, we will have to be aggressive against an opponent who has quality but that also can give space,” he began.
The manager also provided an update on Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who has recovered from the injury he sustained at the end of May. However, the Swede isn’t quite ready yet and won’t be on the bench for tomorrow’s clash.
“He worked a lot, he worked well, he did his first training yesterday but he isn’t ready to play yet. Tomorrow, he will work and he won’t be on the bench with us.
“Kjaer? If he does all the training today, he will be there tomorrow, he’s an intelligent player. I’m also happy with the recovery of Duarte, he has good qualities. Given the absence of Musacchio, we need more players,” he stated.
Pioli also took the opportunity to praise four of his key players, namely Ante Rebic, Samu Castillejo, Ismael Bennacer and Theo Hernandez.
“Rebic? Ante can do well as a winger, centre-forward and second striker. Against Lecce, he played with an important mental and physical intensity, he’s becoming a really important player.
“Castillejo? He knows how to combine quantity and quality, he must absolutely continue like this, he knows how to attack depth well, he can only grow. Both he and Theo Hernandez will be able to grow physically to make an important contribution.
“Bennacer? He has incredible physicality in one-on-ones, he’s also improving in management. He’s growing a lot and he’s destined to become a level player,” he continued.
Finally, he was asked to give Gigio Donnarumma some advice with regards to the future, as Milan are looking to renew his contract.
“He’s very calm and determined and very attached to Milan, I think he will make the best decision for himself, I don’t see him far from Milan. I haven’t talked to him about the future, we are focused on the season,” he concluded.
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