Milan's renaissance threatened by injuries

godtabh

Preview

MILAN, Feb 8 (Reuters) - AC Milan hope their recent surge up the Serie A table will not be stalled by a sudden bout of injuries for Sunday's visit of struggling Siena (1400 GMT).

The European champions endured a dreadful first half of the campaign, failing to win at home in the league, but since the turn of the year, they have hauled themselves up to fifth.

After beating fourth-placed Fiorentina last weekend, Milan are now just four points behind the Florence side and a Champions League berth.

Knee and ankle injuries to Brazilian forwards Kaka and Alexandre Pato, who has scored four goals since arriving last month, now threaten to undo the good work unless Ronaldo can recover from his series of knocks to lead the line against Siena.

Filippo Inzaghi might also have a chance of being fit while little-used French midfielder Yoann Gourcuff will be relishing an opportunity to shine.

Injured Gennaro Gattuso is also out of the game but left back Marek Jankulovski hopes to available after knee trouble.

Milan remain 20 points behind leaders Inter Milan, whose own injury problems were starting to clear before defender Marco Materazzi has picked up another twinge.

Winger Luis Figo is close to a return from a broken leg but Patrick Vieira is suspended for Sunday's trip to Catania (1930) after being sent off in last week's 1-0 win over Empoli having only just recovered from hamstring trouble.

Inter have come under pressure in the media of late for being awarded some soft penalties, but boss Roberto Mancini has been quick to point out they played their last two league games with 10 men for more than a half.

Injury worries at third-placed Juventus are definitely easing ahead of Sunday's trip (1400) to Udinese in sixth.

Keeper Gianluigi Buffon should return after missing Italy's 3-1 friendly win over Portugal to fully recover from a bad back.

Defender Giorgio Chiellini may be back from a knock, winger Mauro Camoranesi is pushing for a start after shrugging off thigh problems while David Trezeguet's muscle injury in training this week was a false alarm.

Midfielder Cristiano Zanetti returns from suspension and new signing Mohamed Sissoko could start after Tiago produced another lacklustre display in the surprise 1-1 home draw with bottom side Cagliari last Sunday.

Second-placed AS Roma, eight behind points Inter, also suffered a shock last weekend when they went down 3-0 at Siena. A home game with lowly Reggina on Saturday (1930) may offer the perfect tonic.

aturday, February 9, 2008
STATUS HOME SCORE AWAY VENUE (ATT.)
1 min Atalanta 0 - 0 Fiorentina Stadio Azzurri D`Italia
TIME HOME AWAY VENUE
19:30 UK Roma v Reggina Stadio Olimpico

Sunday, February 10, 2008
TIME HOME AWAY VENUE
14:00 UK AC Milan v Siena Stadio Giuseppe Meazza
14:00 UK Cagliari v Parma Stadio Sant'Elia
14:00 UK Empoli v Lazio Stadio Carlo Castellani
14:00 UK Livorno v Genoa Armando Picchi
14:00 UK Sampdoria v Napoli Comunale Luigi Ferraris
14:00 UK Torino v Palermo Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino
14:00 UK Udinese v Juventus Stadio Friuli
19:30 UK Catania Calcio v Inter Milan Stadio Angelo Massimino

Inter on tv tomorrow. Hope I can watch it. Havent seen them in awhile. Have to study though so probably wont.

Chong

I miss Italian footie so much.

Bubs101

Young Polaski scores with his first touch in his first Serie A game. Beat that Pato.

Willstev, alot of the games are on Betfair and if you're planning on joining there's free 25 bet promo's which you could take advantage of. PM me if interested (not entirely selfless, i would get 25 quid too )

Galvasean

Hope they all stay injured for the big 'un against the Gunners!

Bubs101

Galvasean wrote: »

Hope they all stay injured for the big 'un against the Gunners!

Nesta came of at half time for Bonera so I assume that that was an injury. Milan did look very bad today, defence was a shambles and Ronaldo only touched the ball once

godtabh

Inter win 2-0.

Looks like its their league to lose

iregk

Absolutely is Inters to loose now.

Bubs, ronaldo only came back training on Wednesday so this game was about 2 weeks too soon for him. Nothing strange that he was that bad.

As for the man of the hour. Surely thats some sort of record is it. Can anyone else remember someone making their senior squad debut to score with their first touch?

DerekD Goldfish

iregk wrote: »

Absolutely is Inters to loose now.

Bubs, ronaldo only came back training on Wednesday so this game was about 2 weeks too soon for him. Nothing strange that he was that bad.

As for the man of the hour. Surely thats some sort of record is it. Can anyone else remember someone making their senior squad debut to score with their first touch?

Wasnt his senior debut just his league one he played in 2 Coppa Italia games and scored twice

iregk

Crap hadn't realised he played in the coppa...

my bad.

Mr. Presentable

kearnsr wrote: »

Inter win 2-0.

Looks like its their league to lose

And again it's an Inter controversy

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/feb11m.html

Mr. Presentable

And another..

According to NOIF rules (Art. 76) When a player refuses to play with
the national team because of injury, he can't play the following club
game.

Materazzi left the NT claiming an injury, but played in Catania.
Now Catania appealed the result of the game because Materazzi
shouldn't have been allowed to play.

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/feb12j.html

Any chance Inter will be punished?

godtabh

nipplenuts wrote: »

And again it's an Inter controversy

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/feb11m.html

Are you saying that Inter influenced the ref? I suppose you do have something there. I've never seen a ref make a mistake. Ever.

nipplenuts wrote: »

And another..

According to NOIF rules (Art. 76) When a player refuses to play with
the national team because of injury, he can't play the following club
game.

Materazzi left the NT claiming an injury, but played in Catania.
Now Catania appealed the result of the game because Materazzi
shouldn't have been allowed to play.

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/feb12j.html

Any chance Inter will be punished?

Is that a direct quote of the rules?

I dont think the same rule applies say in the PL does it?

Mr. Presentable

kearnsr wrote: »

I've never seen a ref make a mistake. Ever.

I don't believe the ref made a mistake either (it'd be too much coincidence for the same or similar mistake to be made week in week out in favour of Inter) - he could be forgiven for a mistake.

kearnsr wrote: »

I dont think the same rule applies say in the PL does it?

Not to my knowledge. It was enacted a few years ago because people like Totti were always injured for internationals but fit at the next league game. I'm pretty sure it's exclusive to the FIGC

dor83

It looks like things have gotten worse for Milan and Ronaldo, who has been stretchered off in tonights game.

It would be a shame if this ends his career and even though I don't like him for the way he left Inter I hope to see him play again. For a player who was so talented he has had more than his fair share of injuries and he would have been one of the all time greats if he hadn't been hit by so many.