Report: Milan could rest a star player for Celtic clash; Ronaldo called him ‘a champion’

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Ismael Bennacer could be rested by AC Milan for their Europa League opener with Celtic on Thursday, although summer signing Sandro Tonali is in line to start for the Italian giants, according to Milan News.

Only two teams in Europe’s major leagues still have a 100 per cent record thus far. And you would have got long odds on those clubs in question being Aston Villa and AC Milan.

A 2-1 victory over eternal rivals Inter on Saturday means the Rossoneri are top of the embryonic Serie A table after four wins from four.

Yet Milan are no overnight revelation. The sleeping giants are stirring, picking up more points than anyone else since football returned post-lockdown.

And after an insipid Celtic were swatted aside by Rangers in their own derby clash this weekend, few are giving Neil Lennon’s stuttering team much hope of ending Milan’s 20-game unbeaten run at Parkhead.

The reigning Scottish champions failed to muster a single shot on target when Rangers came to town on Saturday and, with the talismanic Odsonne Edouard likely to be watching on from the sidelines again, it is difficult to imagine where the goals will come from against a Milan side who have conceded just once in Serie A this season.

Celtic’s admittedly slim hopes of claiming a famous result against the form team of European football will be given a slight boost, however, if Milan opt to leave Bennacer on the sidelines.

The Algerian ankle-biter has been a revelation since moving to the San Siro. Even the great Cristiano Ronaldo believes this is a midfielder capable of becoming ‘a champion’.

But after arguably the most effective defensive enforcer in Italian football played every one of those 90 gruelling minutes against Inter, MilanNews believes that he or Ivorian powerhouse Franck Kessie could be rested in Glasgow.

The task will not get any easier for Scott Brown and co, however, with Tonali in line to make just his third start in red and black (Gazzetta).

The so-called ‘new Pirlo’ who models himself on Gennaro Gattuso instead, Tonali is one of the most complete young midfielders on the continent. If Celtic couldn’t contain Glen Kamara, how on earth does Lennon find a way to keep Tonali quiet?