The end of 2023 was not kind to AC Milan’s defensive department in terms of injuries, and at a crucial point in the season Stefano Pioli has once again been left scrambling for options.
This morning’s edition of Tuttosport (via MilanNews) recalls how from November onwards Milan have suffered injury blow after injury blow to the three main centre-backs Fikayo Tomori, Pierre Kalulu and Malick Thiaw, while Simon Kjaer was never in great condition in the first part of the season.
Today, not only due to injuries but also due to a suspension, an emergency situation has arisen again among the Rossoneri rearguard ranks, two days before the first leg of the Europa League quarter-final first leg against Roma.
A huge absence
Against Roma on Thursday evening, Tomori is one of the certain absentees from the match. The yellow card he received in the second leg of the round of 16 against Slavia Praha saw him reach the threshold and receive a one-game ban.
It was no coincidence that with Tomori’s return Milan’s defensive performance improved. In the last six matches, from after Monza onwards, Milan either did not concede a goal or conceded only one.
It was a good improvement compared to to the autumn-winter period when the average of goals conceded was two per game.
In the ten rounds of Serie A action in which Tomori was absent, four matches ended with at least two goals conceded. Among these were also the five in the derby, highlighting his importance.
A worrying doubt
If Tomori’s absence could weigh heavily, the same can be said of Thiaw’s which would force Stefano Pioli’s hand a bit when it comes to choosing the team for Thursday.
The German, on the eve of the win over Lecce, was the victim of plantar fasciitis which is inflammation of the foot. The problem kept him out of the match on Saturday and he trained alone yesterday.
Between today and tomorrow it will be clear whether the discomfort will be overcome and Thiaw will at least be able to be used from the bench.
Meanwhile, Kalulu is out with a ligament issue which means for Pioli the only certain pair available is Matteo Gabbia and Simon Kjaer, with the Dane also coming from a physically challenging period.
On the bench, with the exception of Thiaw who remains in doubt as mentioned, there will be no Jan-Carlo Simic who is not on the UEFA squad list. The only solution will be Davide Bartesaghi or possibly Clinton Nsiala.
Should have put Simic on the main UEFA list instead of the already injured Kalulu when we had the chance in January.
Pioli out
Finally, pioli is cornered he has no other option but to lose games. Hopefully enough to get him replaced by the end of the season.
Guy has been here since 2019, give it a rest already, you should never have even had that much time. Move on. Leave. Someone hold the door open for him.
Every year since 2019 with or without a scudetto this guy losses for months on end sometimes the worst record losses in recorded milan history and then after we are knocked out of everything meaningful he then starts performing with no pressure except top 4.
EVERY FREAKING YEAR. Pioli is good for nothing but top 4 that’s it. We spent £130 million euros which is unheard of in seri a, and we done even get that useless mickeymouse cup. He will absolutely not win the europa league if I know pioli or milan. Liverpool would walk circles around pioli’s famous 5-0-5 formation.
I mean for God sake I would love to see a milan that is managed by someone better then this guy
You are too sentimental
Wow, you really hate Pioli.
It can’t be fun to be a supporter when you can’t even be happy with seven wins in a row in serie a. And when the team is actually playing good football.
You don’t even seem happy that we won the scudetto just two years ago. I agree last hear was horrific. But the so was the squad last year. Noone could have made that team a scudetto winning team.
Be glad that Milan are even trying. And actually spending money instead of just saying that we spend without winning. Be glad that we have progress and hope for the future instead of whining.
Maybe we should have done better in CL but it was the hardest group of all. Maybe we should be a bit closer to Inter. But seriously Inter are having an incredible season. Basically unbeatable. Pretty hard to compete with a team like that. To win the scudetto Pioli would have to somehow sabotage Inters team. Sometimes things are out of your hands.
I hope Pioli stays. I hope Theo and Leao stays together with 80 % of the rest of the first team. This has been a good season bar for a couple of months when we basically had no players and mainly Leao was out for over a month. That’s when we lost the season. There are reasons other than Pioli.
It is not the issue of hating Pioli, it is about result.
Pioli won only 1 trophy in half a decade with Milan inspite of all the investment and financial health of the club. It is unacceptable.
The picture is even more gloomy, when the only trophy won at milan is his only win as coach for over 25 years career.
Another damming fact about his only trophy win is that Inter lost it not that Milan were dominant as was the case of Napoli last season and Inter this season.
So I can’t support mediocrity, Pioli is not upto the level required at Milan
You forgot Pioli won a scudetto with pretty much a team of young and unknown players mixed with old players like Giroud, Ibra, and Kjaer. He worked well with limitation since Milan doesn’t shower him with very expensives and world class players since arrived at Milan in 2019.
And his results are quite well:
– 2019/20: 6th place + qualified for EL
– 2020/21: 2nd place + qualified for CL after Milan absent from the tournament for like 8-10 years?
– 2021/22: 19th scudetto after a decade we didn’t win it
– 2022/23: 4th place in the league + semi final CL again since 2007?
– Now: 2nd place in the league + quarter final EL with a big chance to reach semi or grand final
Saying Pioli’s works and results are mediocre are just super ignorant and borderline insane.
I dislike Pioli’s tactics most times but this is another level of hate…
You need help kid
You just want Milan to lose and you call yourself a Milan fan
whats wrong with you?
Like seriously what is actually wrong with you?
Kids like him needs serious help. They got too addicted from playing Football Manager video games to the point their brain got tricked to thinks like they know more how to handle a football team than a real manager. So i’m not that surprised the kid showed some abnormal hate towards Pioli.
You must be related to Meez. Meaningless, myopic rant.
Milan desperately need a top defender, the only good defender we have is Tomori, Thiaw is not in the same form like last year and Kalulu is always injured. Milan should get Scalvini or Bongiorno
How is Tomori on the yellow rest? He only got one in LE
Gabbia-Kjaer would be enough for Roma