Since Milan’s only centre backs in the coming weeks are Malick Thiaw and Fikayo Tomori, Rossoneri manager Stefano Pioli is prepared to promote Jan-Carlo Simic and Davide Bartesaghi from the Primavera squad.
Pierre Kalulu, Simon Kjaer, and Marco Pellegrino have all recently sustained injuries, and the Frenchman will probably be sidelined for four months. Pellegrino won’t return until at least mid-December, and Kjaer will be out for a few weeks due to a muscle injury he suffered prior to Sunday’s match against Napoli. Additionally unavailable for a few months is Mattia Caldara.
As a result, Milan’s only centre backs for the upcoming games are Thiaw and Tomori.
According to various Italian sources, including Sportmediaset, AC Milan has no plans to sign a new center-back as a free agent before January. Therefore, players like Jerome Boateng or Shkodran Mustafi won’t be transferring to the Stadio Meazza.
Instead, Milan’s coach Pioli is set to promote young defenders from the Primavera team, namely Simic and Bartesaghi. Bartesaghi has already made his Serie A debut for the Rossoneri this season and has featured in three matches with the first team. However, at just 17 years old, he primarily plays as a left-back and may need to adapt to a different position.
Simic, who is 18 years old, plays as a center-back for AC Milan’s Primavera squad but has yet to make his debut with the senior team. According to Sportmediaset, Rade Krunic and Davide Calabria might also be deployed in central defense for some games to provide rotation and prevent injuries to Thiaw and Tomori.
AC Milan’s upcoming matches include fixtures against Udinese and Lecce in Serie A, as well as a clash with PSG in the Champions League before the international break in November.
