The Serie A will be resuming tomorrow, when a fresh slate of midweek games will be played. There are many interesting fixtures, but the one which I'm really looking forward to is Cagliari - AC Milan. AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri will be returning to his former club at the Stadio Sant'Elia, and he'll be bringing a slightly different side than usual with him.
The team which has been dominating the Serie A though isn't quite the same after the winter break. Nesta complained about a muscle strain, and although he is part of the squad travelling, it is unlikely he will play. That leaves Thiago Silva and Bonera in the middle of defence, and they'll be without Zambrotta on the right side of defence due to a meniscus problem. The midfield is weakened as well because Kevin-Prince Boateng won't be playing due to a problem in his tendons (As you can see, I'm not an expert), and Pirlo is injured as well.
The attack is patched up with Pato returning from his injury, and Robinho should be able to play even if he crashed his knee into a camera on the side of the pitch in AC Milan's 2-1 friendly win against Al Ahli. Yet AC Milan will be missing their main man up front, Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Swede is suspended after repeated yellow card in multiple matches, and without Ibra, the team could have difficulty scoring. Along with Ibrahimovic, Ronaldinho won't be playing because it seems like his deal with Gremio is in the final stages of completion, leaving a slightly inexperienced forward line.
But Allegri has a player he can call upon if needed, Antonio Cassano is among the substitutes, and he will probably make an appearance in the match. Cassano played well in the friendly against Al Ahli, providing an assist for Seedorf and being selfless with his distribution to his teammates. But Cassano has been receiving comments regarding his overall fitness, and there's certainly room for improvement in that area.
Whether Cassano will be able to make a difference against Cagliari is a tough question to answer, but I don't think he'll have much of an impact. While Cagliari are in 13th place, with just 20 points this season, don't expect that Roberto Donadoni's side will allow AC Milan to trample over them at their home ground. It will be a tough return for Allegri, especially with the reduced squad which he has to resort to. Do you think that AC Milan will continue winning in 2011? Can they be stopped? Share your comments below!
