AC Milan boss Stefano Pioli hopes the current appointment of senior advisor Zlatan Ibrahimovic can provide the spark to assist his aspect bridge the hole to Serie A’s prime two forward of their journey to backside membership Salernitana.
Pioli’s males go into the sport 5 factors behind second-placed Juventus however buoyed by the arrival of former hero Ibrahimovic, who is anticipated to be current in Salerno.
Pioli advised a press convention: “He’s the identical Zlatan. He is approaching a distinct function however he’s curious and decided.
“I saw a motivated Ibra and it was an interesting day. He is an added value for me and the club, but he has great experience and he is a symbol of those who challenge the challengers.”
Pioli’s males nonetheless discover themselves amid a mounting damage disaster having misplaced each Tommaso Pobega and Noah Okafor to muscle accidents through the comfy weekend win over Monza.
“We’re still in an emergency situation that we want to normalise as much as possible,” added Pioli.
“We’re working to return to normality. We have a busy few weeks ahead of us, and the aim is to get as many players back as possible. We’re working on certain situations, especially on an individual level, to improve everyone’s condition.”
Pioli revealed that Ismael Bennacer will play from the beginning as he continues his return following a seven-month lay-off with an ankle ligament damage.
However, there stays some concern in Milan over Bennacer’s inclusion within the provisional Algeria squad for the Africa Cup of Nations in January.
“He’s now in better shape and will start in Salerno, and he will remain on the pitch for as long as he has the energy needed to help us,” added Pioli.
“As regards his national team, we’re not the ones who decide the calendar. If he accepts the call-up to play for Algeria, he’ll take part in the African Nations Cup. It will be up to us to find solutions.”
Bottom membership Salernitana head into the sport on the again of three straight defeats together with a 4-1 loss at Atalanta on Monday evening that saved their factors for the season in single figures.
They are managed by Filippo Inzaghi, who revamped 200 appearances for Milan between 2001 and 2012, and Pioli is relishing one other assembly with a person so steeped within the membership’s historical past.
“Pippo made history with AC Milan,” stated Pioli. “He gave quite a bit to the membership, received many titles, and entered the Rossoneri followers’ hearts.
“He knows that it’s normal to experience difficult moments in our profession. I wish him a lot of luck, even if we’ll be opponents tomorrow and looking to get the better of one another.”
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