Bennacer ruled out for up to four months

Milan's Ismael Bennacer (C) in action during the first half of a match between Manchester City and Milan at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York, New York, USA, 27 July 2024. EPA/SARAH YENESEL

by Staff Reporter

Thursday Sep 12, 2024. 15:00

AC Milan have confirmed that Ismael Bennacer has suffered a “severe” calf injury which is set to keep him on the sidelines for three to four months.

The Algeria international missed the 3-0 win over Liberia on Tuesday after picking up the injury in training on an artificial pitch ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on a similar surface at the SKD Stadium in Monrovia.

Bennacer immediately returned to Milan for further medical tests which revealed a “severe lesion of the medial gastrocnemius muscle in the right calf.”

The news serves as another setback to the 26-year-old midfielder’s career at the San Siro after he sat out the opening four months of the 2023-24 season with a knee injury that required surgery.

Bennacer started the opening game of the new Serie A campaign as the Rossoneri played out to a 2-2 draw with Torino on August 17, but he’s now only likely to return in the new year.