Inzaghi warns milan

The veteran striker is now feeling surplus to requirements.

“I really wanted to play the whole match, as I haven’t done that in probably over a year,” he told MilanNews. “I am happy and it was tough, but the most important thing was to get some fuel in the engine. I preferred to play with the youth team, as a competitive match is different to a training session.

“I train hard and try to ensure I am ready. I am relaxed and very hungry to get back to the top level, because I still enjoy my football. Playing makes me feel happy.

“Today it felt like going back to 20 years ago when I was at Piacenza, going to college and eating in the lunch hall. I even went to a pre-match training camp, because that’s what I’m like. I want to feel useful.

“My dream is to end my career at Milan and that could well happen, but we have to see if they still need me,” continued Inzaghi.

“I want to continue as long as I feel important. I would hate for others to tell me to stop, as I want it to be my decision. We’ll see what happens in the next two months, because I want to be a protagonist.

“If I can’t do it at Milan, then I can try to achieve that elsewhere. As I said, my dream is to end my career with Milan, but we have to see if they still need me.”

Milan To Promote Youth Team Players Rather Than Spend On Major Transfers - Reports

Milan's policies to curb spending have left coach Massimiliano Allegri facing the sharp end of cuts and, according to Tuttosport, he will promote from within rather than spend on new recruits.

Rodney Strasser, Alexander Merkel, Simone Verdi and Giacomo Beretta are expected to make the step up and join the first team.

Midfielders Strasser and Merkel have impressed during pre-season, the former has already made his Serie A debut and at 20-year-old offers Allegri promise.

Verdi and Beretta may find their space despite the difficulty of breaking into an attacking line-up which includes Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Ronaldinho, Alexandre Pato, Filippo Inzaghi and Marco Borriello.

La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Verdi is likely to be used as back-up for Ronaldinho, who is currently recovering from injury. He has impressed Allegri this summer and is likely to get more of a chance to show his class in the league.

from goal.com

Ronaldo, Inzaghi boost for Milan

AC Milan should be able to call on fit-again strike pair Ronaldo and Filippo Inzaghi this weekend as they continue their charge up the Serie A table.

The European champions host Siena tomorrow on the back of five wins in their last six matches, a run that has lifted them up to fifth in the table and just four points off fourth spot and Champions League qualification for next season.

Milan got off to a disastrous start this season, failing to win any of their first seven home league matches and languishing in mid-table until the turn of the year.

Their situation became so desperate that people started to speculate on the possibility that the Italian giants could miss out on qualifying for Europe's premier club competition. But crucial 1-0 victories at Udinese and Fiorentina, as well as a run of 15 points from a possible 18, has left Milan's situation looking a lot more promising. That good feeling was at risk of being derailed following last weekend's victory in Florence when attacking Brazilian pair Pato and Kaka suffered injuries.

With Italy forward Alberto Gilardino suspended for the Siena match, there was a serious risk that Milan would be left without a single attacking player. But the timely return of the World Cup's record goalscorer Ronaldo and European club competition's record goalscorer Inzaghi leaves Milan looking a lot healthier.

Even so, playmaker Kaka is worried about the effect the constant changing of players could have on the team's consistency. "In this team there's a lot of player turn-over," he said. "Pato is out, Ronaldo is back and hopefully also Pippo."

Siena drubbed second-placed Roma 3-0 in their last outing, a result that dropped the capital-based club to eight points behind leaders Inter Milan. Roma host lowly Reggina today and although anything other than a win is unthinkable, such a result could even see Roma being dragged down into the clutch of teams that are battling it out for Champions League football next season.

They are just four points ahead of Juventus, who have a four-point advantage on Fiorentina, after which there are four more points to Milan and Udinese. Sapa-AFP

Current Condition of Pato, Kaka, Rronaldo, Inzaghi and Gattuso

These are the declarations of the MilanLab coordinator of AC Milan, Jean Pierre Meersseman with ‘Milan Channel’, yesterday afternoon at the Rossoneri’s sports centre of Milanello:

Doctor, what is the situation of the injured Rossoneri players?

“Pato is better today. Up to yesterday he was walking with the help of the crutches, but now he manages to walk without feeling the pain. We are confident with regards to the recovery time. Up to yesterday we thought he would need two or three weeks, but now I believe that within two weeks he is recoverable for the game against Arsenal. He was surely very scared because it was his first injury, following a wonderful goal and the day after he had to reach the training camp of the Brazilian national side. He suffered a lot physically, but at the same time also psychologically, but now he’s serene.

“Kaka will surely be available for the game against Arsenal, but he won’t be available for Siena. His knee problem, which he has been carrying for the past two years, is suffering a bit of pain the day after the games. For this reason we have decided to take action in order to recover him at 100% because his pain is influencing his way of game.

“Ronaldo and Inzaghi will surely be part of Sunday’s game against Siena. I saw them in form during today’s training session.

“Today we have undertaken an echography to Gattuso and we have noted a huge progress and also he should be available for the game against Arsenal. Rino will surely need to be protected from himself because he does not feel any pain and to know the real situation we must undertake him to instrumental exams like the magnetic resonance or an achography.”