The former Atalanta player, has muscle injury on his left calf that could keep him out for a long time. With Maignan suspended, against Juventus the third-choice goalkeeper will be between the posts.
The irony is that, with many injuries and suspensions already on the table, surely and understandably Pioli watched nervously his players on their international commitments, and yet the biggest problem occurred ‘at home,’ in Milanello.
Forced to do without the suspended Maignan, who recieved a direct red card in the match against Genoa, AC Milan also loses their second-choice goalkeeper Marco Sportiello for the match against Juventus, who ‘has sustained a muscle injury on the left calf,’ as stated in the club’s announcement. The goalkeeper will have to observe a ten-day rest period, after which his progress will be evaluated with a new MRI scan.
ABSENCE
The issue is significant in terms of time: for a goalkeeper, the calf is an extremely delicate area, and while it may not reach therecovery times of Maignan (same problem but recurring) from last season, an absence of at least a month and a half is to be expected.
Against Juventus, Antonio Mirante, the third in the hierarchy and interestingly a product of the Juventus youth system, will be in goal. His last appearance, albeit only for the statistics, was in the final minute of the last match of the previous season (Milan 3-1 Verona). His last start, however, dates back to a Europa League match, Roma vs. Manchester United, on May 6, 2021.
