Milan, Bennacer in the Africa Cup of Nations in January? Algeria can steal it from Pioli

Amid a wave of injuries, there are also those who go against the grain: Ismael Bennacer has already re-emerged from the right knee injury that stopped him last May, when he was knocked out after the first leg of the Champions League semi-final against Inter.

recoveries

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He has not only completed the first phase of recovery, he has started running towards his return to the field: he sees the finish line in mid-December, which was initially set for 2024. The training sessions contribute to making him even closer: he works at Milanello, a a little alone and a little with the team. Yesterday, for example, he started with his teammates and then continued with a personalized session while the others challenged the Primavera team. Once the tackles have been tested in training, Bennacer will also be able to do it in real matches: difficult to see him against Atalanta on 9 December, easy in the match against Monza eight days later.

obligation

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Pioli would like to entrust him with the direction of the midfield again, but risks finding himself once again without a real director. In January Ismael will be able to wear another shirt in another country, and the market has nothing to do with it: the Africa Cup of Nations will begin on January 13th in Ivory Coast and the clubs are obliged to give players to the national teams with a few days of rest ‘advance. It means that if Bennacer is called up by coach Belmadi he will be able to be part of the Algerian national team

the knot

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What is certain is that the recovery must be definitively completed. In this case the player will also have a say: if included in the national team list he will have every right to answer the call. Milan, however, has no right to oppose participation in an official tournament. The condition is clearly decisive: would Bennacer at the top give up a possible call-up? The case in which the body is not yet fully recovered is different: all parties involved, player, club and Algeria, would share the information. It is unlikely that the coach would choose to recruit him if he were only available for the final phase of the competition: the 2024 African Champion team will be elected on Sunday 11 February. The condition is also Bennacer’s fixed thought: he works hard to speed up the times but without exposing himself to risks. The only path he wants to follow today is to return to Milan service as soon as possible. If he then finds himself at a crossroads (Milan or Algeria) he will later evaluate which direction to continue in. At the Rossoneri he missed the last four league matches and the second leg of last season’s Champons semi-final, not even a minute this year. Algeria will be in action on January 15th against Angola, on the 20th against Burkina Faso and on the 23rd against Mauritania: first, second and third matchdays of the group. Commitments that would not allow him to be there in the new year against Roma, Udinese, Bologna and who knows what others.

bennacer vs calha

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The fans have already chosen, given that the question is already being raised on social media: they would like it to be exclusively dedicated to the Rossoneri cause. Also because in these last few hours he was elected hero of the AC Milan web: reason, an interview with Instant Foot. Here he responded to a question about the former Calhanoglu: “Hakan wanted to stay at Milan, then I don’t know what happened. When I read about the move to Inter I said to myself: “He couldn’t have done it”. Personally, I could never: I respect Milan too much. Inter can offer me what they want, but it won’t happen. I love this club. It doesn’t mean that I will stay here for my entire career, I don’t know what will happen in the future, but I will definitely never go to Inter.”