Milan centre-back Simon Kjaer has delivered an update on his long-term ACL injury. The Denmark international picked up a season-ending injury back in December. However, he insists he is ‘very positive and happy.’
In his latest interview with Danish media outlet Ekstra Bladet, Kjaer admitted his rehabilitation is smoothly progressing as he aims to come back ‘even stronger.’
“I’m where I need to be with my knee. Rehabilitation is going well. I’m very happy and positive about the progress,” he said, as relayed by 90min. “I improve it all the time and I’m back on the grass at Milanello and it’s a good feeling. I will soon enter the phase where the knee will let me do everything, and then I can really improve physically.
“I don’t doubt for a second that I will come back even stronger. I work with my whole body, but the knee determines the pace.“
Kjaer has been one of the leaders of Milan’s renaissance under Stefano Pioli, soaking up the limelight as the most reliable defender at San Siro. But even in his absence, the Rossoneri have stayed air-tight at the back, with Fikayo Tomori and Pierre Kalulu going from strength to strength.
Milan currently sit atop the Serie A standings, three points clear of second-placed Napoli. Pioli’s men face a rare opportunity to lift their first Scudetto since 2010/11, as reigning champions Inter cannot catch a break.
In the meantime, Milan are searching for a new defender regardless of Kjaer’s positive injury update. The Italians are keen to land Lille’s Sven Botman, who has developed into one of the most highly-rated young centre-backs in European football.
Milan’s pursuit of Botman is more a consequence of Alessio Romagnoli’s likely departure in the summer. The captain has yet to pen a new deal in Lombardy, and he could leave the Rossoneri as a free agent after seven years.