Same story, different day [Newsletter]

It was a tough evening for AC Milan against Borussia Dortmund despite playing very well for large parts of the game. The qualification chances for the Round of 16 are looking rather bleak, having to rely on the already qualified Germans beating Paris Saint-Germain in the final round.

After Samuel Chukwueze managed to score the equaliser (and what a way to score your first goal, by the way) it felt like a second goal was coming for the Rossoneri. Instead, ‘bad luck’ struck again as Malick Thiaw was forced to leave the pitch with a muscle injury, replaced by Rade Krunic at the back. Today, it was confirmed that the centre-back suffered a ‘severe lesion’ in his left thigh, with a long recovery time expected.

With an already stretched squad, against a well-organised team, everyone could have predicted the outcome of the clash. And if it wasn’t the case before, the management will now be fully focused on the injury issues as yesterday’s incident most likely cost the club a lot of money. Let’s remind ourselves that we made €60m from the knockout stages last season.

All of this aside, though, it’s also painfully clear that Milan can perform on a very high level with these players. We saw it against PSG and we saw it yesterday, begging the question of why they have looked so lacklustre in the league. It seems obvious that the answer has something to do with Stefano Pioli, and turning a blind eye is no longer a sustainable behaviour by the management.

Sacking Pioli isn’t the only solution, of course, but it feels like that option is becoming more and more viable for each day that passes. Then again, as we have discussed at length in our bonus about the potential replacement, the Rossoneri appear more inclined to deal with that after the current season.

Whatever happens from now on, it’s clear that the current situation will be very tough to come out of. Perhaps we can see an upswing in the league, building on that win against Fiorentina, but the core issues will remain and many already consider this season as a write-off. We are not even in December, and yet the latter stance is not unreasonable.

News bulletin

➤ AC Milan's Primavera side lost 4-2 to Cagliari at the weekend, but made up for it on Tuesday with a 4-1 UEFA Youth League win over Borussia Dortmund. That means Ignazio Abate's side have not only qualified for the knockout stages, but they have sealed top with a game to go. After 18 games played this season the Primavera have 13 wins, 46 goals scored and 18 goals conceded.

➤ Francesco Camarda became a record-breaker on Saturday evening when he became the youngest ever Serie A debutant at 15 years and 260 days. He is yet to sign a professional deal and can't until next March when he turns 16, but Fabrizio Romano provided a reassuring update on his future.

➤ The Milan Women suffered another defeat on Saturday, losing the derby against Inter 1-0 to continue what has been a very difficult start to the new campaign. As a reminder, Ganz was sacked last Monday this week and replaced by the Primavera manager Corti, who couldn't start with a win.

➤ Milan failed to rise to the big occasion as they were beaten 3-1 by Dortmund. The result means a miracle is needed for last-16 qualification, and Tuttosport reported on Wednesday that the trust of the management in Stefano Pioli is at its lowest point because of the results and injuries.

➤ Not only that, but Malick Thiaw came off early in the second half with a hamstring injury that will keep him out until 2024 as per multiple sources. That means Fikayo Tomori is Milan's only fit centre-back, so Pioli will have to be creative.

➤ There have been a number of transfer updates regarding potential targets ahead of January, including Jakub Kiwior, Juan Miranda, Assan Ouedraogo, Benoit Badiashile, Joshua Zirkzee plus various other strikers.

In case you missed it

Make sure to check out the latest podcast episode, and our latest bonus podcast in which the lads discuss their transfer regrets. We have also published quite a few bonus articles lately, including the latest edition of Meeting the Milan Media with Andrea Longoni. Are you interested in a paid subscription? Read all about it here.