AC Milan have suffered another major injury setback with Ruben Loftus-Cheek ruled out for at least two weeks due to a thigh tear. The English midfielder will miss several crucial fixtures, including the highly anticipated derby against Inter, adding to Ruben Amorim's growing selection headache.
Loftus-Cheek has been sidelined for a minimum of two weeks after medical tests confirmed a muscle tear in his left thigh, as per MilanNews . The Englishman suffered damage to a medial hamstring muscle and faces further assessment in a fortnight.
He picked up the injury during Sunday's 2-0 victory over Udinese in Serie A. After being introduced as a second-half substitute, Loftus-Cheek was forced off at the beginning of stoppage time. The midfielder felt a sharp pull in the back of his thigh while sprinting. The subsequent scans have now confirmed Milan's worst fears regarding his short-term availability.
The timing of the injury is a massive setback for Milan ahead of a vital stretch of fixtures. Loftus-Cheek is now guaranteed to miss Wednesday's home league game against Bologna. More significantly, he will play no part in Saturday's massive derby clash against cross-city rivals Inter.
Furthermore, his European campaign is temporarily halted. He will sit out the upcoming Europa League encounter against Hungarian side Ferencvaros as he begins his rehabilitation process.
The loss of Loftus-Cheek compounds an increasingly severe injury crisis for manager Amorim. The Milan boss now has eight first-team players unavailable for selection ahead of a critical run of games.
Adrien Rabiot, Mario Gila, and Diego Moreira are all in a race against time to be fit for the upcoming derby after missing the trip to Udinese. Their potential return would provide a much-needed boost to the depleted squad. Meanwhile, Amorim remains without several key figures for the foreseeable future. Samuel Chukwueze, Matteo Gabbia, and Alexis Saelemaekers are all currently sidelined with long-term issues.
Despite the mounting absences in the treatment room, Milan have maintained excellent domestic form this season. They head into the upcoming derby against Inter boasting 18 points and remaining entirely unbeaten in Serie A. However, before that duel, Rossoneri will look to extend their unbeaten record in Serie A when they host Bologna on Wednesday.
