Pato out for four weeks with thigh injury
Wednesday’s game with Udinese saw AC Milan draw with them 1-1. It also saw Pato strain a thigh muscle while running for the ball. The injury came in the 21st minute and the top striker was forced to leave the pitch. Tests have been carried out and it has been revealed that Pato has a muscle contraction on his right thigh. However, it is hoped that there will be no complications and that he will be back on the pitch again in a month.
This must be worrying for the team though, as they already have a long injury list. Fans will be worrying as well, having to distract themselves from thinking about the problems faced by the team, with things like partypoker and television programs. AC Milan currently sit in 14th position in the league table after only picking up two points from their first three games. They will be wanting to rectify this, and will be hoping that Pato recovers soon.
The total of 12 injured players is being blamed for the team’s poor performance of late. Adriano Galliana, the vice-president of AC Milan has made it clear that he believes the club can recover from this set-back, and that it is only a matter of time and recovery. He sees victory in the future and is confident that the team will be able to get past this.
As well as Pato, other injured AC Milan players include strikers Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Robinho and Kevin-Prince Boateng, mid-fielders Gennaro Gattuso, Mathieu Flamini and Massino Ambrosini as well as defenders Philippe Mexes, Daniele Bonara and Luca Antonini. This means that coach Massimiliano Allegri will be forced to combine Stephan El Shaarawy with Antonio Cassano on the field in attack.
Hopefully this state of affairs will not last long for the team. They will be doing everything they can for the injured players and surely it is only a matter of time before they are back on track.
Fifth fastest goal in Champions League history
Pato’s goal against Barcelona on Tuesday night was the fifth fastest goal in Champions League history. His blistering pace helped Pato beat the sleeping defence and to end it by slotting the ball between the keepers legs.
Antonio Cassano believes only Messi is better than Pato
Antonio Cassano recently joined Milan after falling out with management at Sampdoria. The striker who has not been a regular starter commented on his new team mate Pato.
“Pato is the strongest of all, I told him this,” he told Il Corriere dello Sport. “Only one player is greater than him, Messi. Both would complement each other and it would be exceptional to see them in the same team.”
It would be great to have Messi at Milan but with his immense buy-out clause, I can’t see that happening.