On October 19th, AC Milan’s backup goalkeeper, Marco Sportiello, sustained a calf injury, as confirmed by the Serie A leaders. This setback comes at a challenging time as their first-choice goalkeeper, Mike Maignan, is already suspended for their upcoming home match against Juventus on Sunday.
Maignan received a red card in Milan’s previous game, a 1-0 victory against Genoa, during which French forward Olivier Giroud took on the unexpected role of goalkeeper during stoppage time. With Maignan’s suspension, it is anticipated that Sportiello will step in as the replacement.
Milan currently leads Serie A with 21 points, while Juventus sits in third place with 17 points.
Sportiello, who joined the team on a free transfer in June, made his debut in the Champions League last month in a 0-0 draw against Newcastle United, filling in for the injured Maignan during the final nine minutes. He subsequently started the next two league matches while Maignan recovered from his injury but is now sidelined himself due to a left calf injury.
Milan stated, “Marco Sportiello has suffered an injury to the medial aspect of the left calf. The goalkeeper will need to undergo a 10-day rest period, after which his progress will be assessed with a new MRI.”
In light of this, Milan’s manager, Stefano Pioli, is expected to turn to 40-year-old Antonio Mirante, who has not started a match since joining the club in October 2021. Mirante’s only competitive appearance in his two years at Milan occurred on the last day of the previous season when he substituted for Maignan in the 89th minute during a 3-1 victory over Hellas Verona.
Mirante’s last start dates back to his time at AS Roma in May 2021 when he played the full match in Roma’s Europa League semi-final second leg against Manchester United.
If Mirante is chosen to start on Sunday, 19-year-old Lapo Nava will likely be on the bench for the third time this season.
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