AC Milan are far from full strength when they visit Manchester United this week.
Milan are already without Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who suffered an injury a fortnight ago, days after the draw is made.
Zlatan will miss the first leg, although has not given up hope of returning for the second leg.
Unfortunately for Milan, their other injuries leave them with an uphill task to stop United running away with it in the first leg.
Four more miss out
Calciomercato report attackers Ante Rebic and Hakan Calhanoglu will not fly to England and will miss the first leg.
Calhanoglu has eight assists in Serie A this season and his absence could be a big one for Milan.
Rebic has five goals and three assists and has experience playing in the World Cup for Croatia. He is another player who Milan would have looked to for a goal with Zlatan out.
Football Italia report back-up striker Mario Mandzukic is also out, along with midfielder Ismael Bennacer. Both players missed Milan’s win over Verona at the weekend.
Bennacer is one of Milan’s key defensive midfielders and his absence should help United.
Mandzukic is just a back-up at this late stage of his career, but one United would rather avoid, considering his Champions League knockout goals for Bayern back in 2014.
Add in a missing Zlatan, and for the first leg at least, United have a very good chance of securing a win to open the last 16 clash.
Clarity expected on United injuries
United don’t have a clean bill of health at our end, either. Marcus Rashford is expected to miss the game with an ankle injury.
Paul Pogba is expected to miss this game, while Donny van de Beek and Edinson Cavani are both questionable.
With United missing such key players, it is fair to say it is quite even in terms of missing men.
The difference will be United’s superior squad depth, while another key factor could be whoever gets more of their players back from injury for the second leg in Milan next week.
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