With the Derby della Madonnina around the corner, Milan are facing a race against the clock to recover several first-team stars. According to Calciomercato, Pierre Kalulu’s availability for the upcoming showdown hangs in the balance after the Frenchman succumbed to a muscle injury.
Kalulu quickly emerged as the front-runner to fill the void left by Fikayo Tomori’s suspension. The French defender picked up a red card during a 2-1 win at Roma last time out and will have to sit out the mouth-watering clash against Inter. He and Malick Thiaw have been Stefano Pioli’s first-choice center-back pairing at the start of the new Serie A campaign.
But with Tomori sidelined, Pioli hoped to replace him with Kalulu, who has proved a trustworthy option in the past couple of seasons. Unfortunately, the 23-year-old’s presence against Inter is in danger. Pressured by the clock, the Milan boss may have to consider other options unless the medical staff can get Kalulu back in shape on time.
Veteran defender Simon Kjaer would be the next in line to slot alongside Thiaw. However, the Danish star’s underwhelming pre-season form cannot inspire much confidence in the Milan camp. The 34-year-old made several costly errors during the off-season preparations.
Aware of Kjaer’s proneness to mistakes, Pioli could find the last resort in Marco Pellegrino. The up-and-coming center-back joined Milan at the back end of the summer transfer window. He has yet to make his debut for the Serie A powerhouse. So, his possible introduction against Inter would be a double-edged sword.
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