AC Milan midfielder Riccardo Montolivo is likely to be out for about six months after injuring his knee ligament during Italy’s World Cup qualifying match against Spain last Friday, leaving the Serie A club looking for a potential replacement.
One of the names linked with a move to Italy is Chelsea’s Cesc Fabregas, with the midfielder reportedly unhappy with life at Stamford Bridge under the new head coach Antonio Conte. He has not started many Premier League games for the Blues, instead being used from the substitute’s bench, and that has led him to consider his future in West London.
AC Milan’s Head Coach Vincenzo Montella has been speaking to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera about the situation and believes that it’s important to try to replace Montolivo with a like for like alternative. He said, “We are looking for a player who has the characteristics of Montolivo, who can also play in a midfield two”.
That is not something that he believes Fabregas will be able to do for the Rossoneri, seemingly ruling the club out of a move for a player who has scored thirteen goals in one hundred appearances for Chelsea since his move from Barcelona in 2014. He said, “Fabregas? He doesn’t have those particular attributes”.
Montolivo will turn 32 in January, meaning his time left as AC Milan’s captain is limited. His injury in the 1-1 draw with Spain in Turin last week means that a new midfielder will be lining up in midfield at the San Siro in January, even if Fabregas doesn’t fit the bill.
The Spaniard will feel that he hasn’t been given a fair crack of the whip by Antonio Conte since the Italian took over at Stamford Bridge in July. The former Italy national team coach has only allowed the 29-year-old to feature in four Premier League games so far this season. The Spain international midfielder will be hoping that that changes, given that he is contracted to the Blues until 2019.