AC Milan loses Bennacer to injury as Morata returns to training

After losing Ismael Bennacer, AC Milan have received a boost ahead of their upcoming Serie A game against Venezia as new signing Alvaro Morata returns to training.

The Spanish keeper has been out of action due to injury, which led Spain manager Luis De La Fuente not to select him in the just-concluded FIFA calendar.

The 2024 European championship winner has reportedly returned to group training at Milan and will be available for selection this weekend.

The Spain international Morata was out of action due to a muscle injury he sustained during the first Serie A game against Torino.

According to reports, the ex-Juventus striker returned to group training on Wednesday morning and completed the whole training session with his teammates.

Several reputable sources, including Sky Sport Italia and Milannews, report that the experienced striker will be available for the next home game against Eusebio Di Francesco’s Venezia on September 14. However, it remains to be seen if he’ll be fit enough to start.

Morata made an instant impact on his Milan debut in August.  Coming off the bench against Torino, the striker scored one goal as a substitute, contributing to a 2-2 comeback draw.

Milan have yet to make an impressive start in the Serie A this season, earning just two points in the opening three league games.

With pressure on them after the unimpressive start, Milan need a win against visiting Venezia before welcoming Liverpool at San Siro in the Champions League in midweek. A tough test awaits them as they will play Serie A defending champions Inter again next week.

Meanwhile, Bennacer, who suffered a ‘severe’ injury to his calf after being struck down in training with his international teammates earlier this week, could experience a long layoff.

The Algeria international returned to Milan ahead of schedule after coming down with an injury while training on an artificial pitch with  Algeria.

After missing Tuesday’s 3-0 victory away against Liberia, which was played on an artificial surface, Bennacer reported back to Milanello for further medical tests. He was spotted arriving at the airport back in Italy in a wheelchair.

Providing an update on the 26-year-old, Milan said  Bennacer had suffered a ‘severe’ tear to his calf and would be subject to further check-ups in a week.

This means he will be out of action for around three months while he recovers from his injury. It was reported that the muscle would take several weeks to heal before he could begin strenuous exercise.

Therefore, he is out of an important run of fixtures for Milan, which will play Venezia, Liverpool and Inter in the Derby della Madonnina next Saturday.

He will likely miss out on upcoming Serie A clashes against Fiorentina, Napoli and Juventus, Champions League engagements with Bayer Leverkusen, Club Brugge and Real Madrid.