December 04, (THEWILL) – Simon Kjaer, the AC Milan defender who played only four minutes of their last fixture, will be sidelined for up to half a year after undergoing surgery on his left knee’s anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) on Friday.
Kjaer was injured in Milan’s 3-0 win over Genoa on Wednesday night, and the 32-year-old was replaced in the fourth minute by Matteo Gabbia in one of the earliest substitutions in the league.
The club made the surgery Information known in a statement that read: “AC Milan confirms that Simon Kjaer underwent arthroscopic surgery today to reconstruct the anterior cruciate ligament and reinsert the medial collateral ligament in his left knee.
“The operation, which was carried out at the Casa di Cura La Madonnina clinic, was a perfect success, with Dr. Roberto Pozzoni performing it with the help of the CTS (Centro di Traumatologia dello Sport — Sports Traumatology Centre) team from the Galeazzi Orthopaedic Institute in the presence of Club doctor Stefano Mazzoni.
“Kjaer is doing well and is eager to begin the rehabilitation process immediately. He’s expected to be out for six months.”
Milan manager Stefano Pioli will be without Kjaer for the rest of the season if the first prognosis is right. It represents a major setback for Milan as they try to end their Scudetto drought. Since joining Pioli’s team from Sevilla in 2020, the Denmark skipper has been a vital cog in the machine.
He had been in particularly fine form this year, including at the European Championships in the summer, earning him a nomination for the Ballon d’Or, where he finished 18th.
At the heart of Milan’s defence, Kjaer had forged a great partnership with former Chelsea defender Fikayo Tomori, with the two defenders complementing each other effectively.
With the majority of Milan’s defenders under the age of 25, Kjaer’s leadership and expertise will be greatly missed in the defense.
About the Author
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.
