AC Milan have been dealt a major injury blow ahead of their clash with Liverpool. The Italian giants will lock horns with Arne Slot’s side at the San Siro on Tuesday night as the new-look Champions League begins.
A so-called ‘Swiss model’ has been implemented this season, which increases the number of competing sides in the tournament from 32 to 36. Rather than operate a standard group stage, like previously, a league phase has been formed to guarantee teams at least eight games.
Not every club in the Champions League will play each other, with UEFA seeding a draw to determine fixtures. Liverpool are heading into their first European campaign without Jurgen Klopp in the dugout in nine years, so Slot will be determined to get off to a winning start.
Meanwhile, Paulo Fonesca will be looking to record his first win of the season after replacing Stefano Pioli as Milan head coach in the summer. Unfortunately for the Rossoneri, though, they’ve been dealt an injury blow which could prove costly.
The Algerian FA has confirmed that Ismaël Bennacer has been forced to withdraw from the squad after suffering an injury in training. The 26-year-old midfielder helped his country defeat Equatorial Guinea 2-0 in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifications clash on Thursday night.
Translated from Arabic, an official statement from the Algerian FA reads: “Bennacer suffers injury in training, exempted from Liberia match This Sunday morning, the national coach, Vladimir Petkovic, scheduled the last training session at the National Technical Center in Sidi Moussa before travelling to Monrovia in the afternoon.
“During this session, midfielder Ismael Bennacer suffered an injury and was forced to withdraw without continuing training. After undergoing medical tests, it was confirmed that the player will not be able to participate in next Tuesday’s match against Liberia.”
Bennacer started Milan’s opening fixture of the Serie A season, but he was pulled shortly before the hour-mark. The Algeria international was then an unused substitute in the second game of the campaign, which the Rossoneri lost 2-1 to Parma.
Then, in the final match before the international break, Bennacer was omitted from the matchday squad altogether. Liverpool have an injury concern of their own; last week, Lionel Scaloni confirmed that Alexis Mac Allister was in ‘pain’ after a training session.
As quoted by the Evening Standard, the Argentina boss told TyC Sports: “Alexis didn’t train because he was overloaded, he was in pain. It always happens to us, they come out to do their part.
“We’ll wait and see how he responds today. It doesn’t change our way of playing much because we’ll stay the same, but it’s true that he gives us play, set pieces. The rest of the team is more or less decided.”
The Reds midfielder was then forced off after scoring for his country against Chile. According to Fabrizio Romano, the knock is not thought to be serious, though, and he’s expected to return to action when Liverpool face Nottingham Forest this weekend should Arne Slot decide to risk him.
