AC Milan midfielder Ismael Bennacer is reportedly set to return from injury this week and be fully fit to face Tottenham in the UEFA Champions League later this month.
According to Sport Mediaset, the Algerian international and former Arsenal wonderkid is in line to feature for Milan against Fiorentina having missed over a month of action due to a muscle injury, with Bennacer now predicted to be in the starting XI to face Tottenham in north London.
The 25-year-old midfielder is regarded by many as one of Milan’s most important players and one of the most influential figures in the Rossoneri dressing room, with Bennacer’s injury coinciding with the Italian giants’ disastrous run of form in Serie A that almost cost Stefano Pioli his job.
However, Milan’s form has since improved in recent weeks, and the Lombardy-based club head to London next week with a 1-0 lead against Tottenham. And Bennacer’s return spells bad news for Antonio Conte’s side in what could be the Italian manager’s biggest match of the season so far.
A former Arsenal academy star, Bennacer has the chance to gain some favourable points with his ex-north London side with a big performance against Tottenham in the Champions League, and eliminating Spurs from Europe and thus ending their chances of another year without silverware will be a moral victory for the Gunners.
Indeed, Bennacer has time to gain more fitness between now and next week’s clash in N7, and for many Milan fans, the midfielder’s return could now have come at a more important part of the season, with the Rossoneri keen to make an impact in the Champions League this campaign.
Bennacer’s return from injury could define Tottenham’s European destiny
Tottenham still have a great chance of making it to the quarter-finals of the Champions League given how marginal Milan’s lead is and the abolishment of the away goals ruling. Yet a player as good as Bennacer returning for the visitors is still huge, and the midfielder could now define Spurs’ success in Europe this season.
As mentioned, the 25-year-old has strong ties to Arsenal and will likely receive a hostile reception from Tottenham supporters next week, yet for Milan, Bennacer’s return from injury is nothing short of a massive morale boost, and the Algerian international could be key in who goes through next week in the Champions League.
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