After sustaining an injury setback in training last week, Milan boss Stefano Pioli is reportedly hopeful Zlatan Ibrahimovic can return in mid-July.
The 38-year-old has made an important impact since returning in January, scoring four goals and providing an assist in 10 appearances.
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Coupled with his experience and leadership as well as his mere presence in leading the line for us with his physicality and technical quality to link play up, there is little doubt that he remains a vital part of the side as we look to end the current campaign on a positive note.
Although initial fears suggested that Ibrahimovic may have suffered a potentially season-ending injury, the initial statement from Milan last week was reassuring as they noted that it was a calf muscle injury, and there was no damage to his Achilles tendon.
Nevertheless, he will still now face a spell on the sidelines and with the Coppa Italia and Serie A resuming this month, the expectation is that he will miss several games.
As reported by MilanNews, via the paper edition of Tuttosport, while the Swede will undergo a check-up this week to provide an update on his recovery, it’s suggested that Pioli is hopeful that he will be available and back at his disposal by mid-July.
That ultimately depends on if his recovery continues without any further setbacks, but it remains to be seen what solutions the Milan boss comes up with in his absence as if we harbour ambitions of pushing for a top-four finish and securing a trophy before the current campaign is over, we’ll need to be a lot more clinical in the final third.
Here are a couple of potential solutions as to how Pioli could tinker with the side without Ibrahimovic…