Milan Hit by Fresh Blow as Zachary Athekame Joins Gimenez on Injury List Ahead of Derby

AC Milan will be without Zachary Athekame for this weekend’s fiery derby against Inter, with Massimiliano Allegri confirming the youngster has picked up a calf problem on international duty.

Injuries has been a constant theme for Milan this season, forcing several key players to the sidelines for long spells. But the outlook had finally started to improve, with Christian Pulisic back to full fitness and Adrien Rabiot returning to training earlier this week. For a moment, Allegri looked like he’d have close to a full squad.

That optimism took a small hit after Athekame felt discomfort while featuring for Switzerland’s U21s, ruling him out of the clash at San Siro. The 20-year-old wasn’t expected to start, but could’ve been a late-game option off the bench, especially with his pace in transition.

Allegri at least has Alexis Saelemaekers in that position, and the Belgian has barely put a foot wrong all season and seemingly never tires, meaning the impact of Athekame’s absence may be more tactical depth than a selection crisis.

No timeframe has been given yet, with further tests pending to assess the damage. Santiago Gimenez also remains sidelined with an ankle issue, though the forward is now targeting a return against Lazio rather than the derby.

Milan head into the match knowing momentum could swing their entire title push. But with key names trickling back and a squad slowly getting healthy, Allegri will feel he still has enough weapons to take the fight to Inter even if his options off the bench look a touch lighter.