May 11, (THEWILL) – AC Milan suffered a major blow as Ismail Bennacer’s season came to an abrupt end following an injury sustained during their UEFA Champions League clash against Inter Milan.
The Algerian midfielder will undergo knee surgery, a procedure required to address cartilage damage in his right knee, according to the announcement made by the club on Thursday. Although the exact duration of his absence was not disclosed, the club confirmed that Bennacer will not feature again this season.
The incident occurred during Milan’s 2-0 defeat to their local rivals when Bennacer was substituted in the 17th minute of the match. While the team faced an uphill battle to overcome a two-goal deficit in the second leg on Tuesday, they narrowly escaped a more devastating outcome as Hakan Calhanoglu’s strike hit the post and Inter Milan missed numerous opportunities to further extend their lead.
As Milan strive to salvage their UCL campaign, they are also locked in a fierce battle in Serie A, currently sitting in fifth place. Their position puts them in contention for securing a spot in next season’s prestigious European club competition, intensifying the pressure on the team to deliver strong performances in their remaining fixtures.
Aside from their reverse semi-final UCL fixture against Inter on Tuesday, May 16, they have Spezia, Sampdoria, Juventus and Hellas Verona to contend with before the 2022/2023 season is over.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
