Olivier Giroud's condition will be evaluated during the week. The forward will resume training with the team from Tuesday, the day when the team will return to Milanello after three days off. The tests have ruled out serious problems, but will he recover from the knock? This is why Pioli will have to prepare a Plan B.
AC Milan's head coach has two alternatives as plan B...
As reported today by Corriere dello Sport, the options available to the Rossoneri coach, if Giroud is not available from the start for the derby, are two. The first is Noah Okafor. The Swiss forward, who performs better as Leao's backup, can also act as a secondary center-forward if needed, although in his initial outings in red and black, he impressed much more in his natural role. Furthermore, the arrival of another center-forward on the last day of the transfer market suggests that the Swiss player is seen by Pioli as a backup for the Portuguese number 10. The last-minute addition is, of course, the other possibility, Luka Jovic. The Serbian forward has not yet set foot in Milanello and had a summer separated from Fiorentina: will he be ready if called upon? Certainly, in terms of fitness, the call-up with Serbia may have helped. On the other hand, being away from Milanello for a week and a half, just like Okafor being called up by Switzerland, will surely not help in view of a possible starting role against Inter.
However, Plan A remains the most favored one for Stefano Pioli: Olivier Giroud. The coach's hope is that the Frenchman was alerted to his problem in time and that in the coming days - there is exactly one week left until the super showdown - he can recover from the blow suffered in the match against Ireland.
The Rossoneri coach will already have to do without another key player like Fikayo Tomori in the upcoming match against Roma, who was expelled in the last league game against Roma: losing another, given his impressive form, would be a real blow for Pioli and the whole of Milan. Side note: the only derby missed by Giroud was the very first one available, in November 2021 (1-1, Calhanoglu and an own goal by De Vrij with a penalty saved by Tatarusanu against Lautaro).
In the subsequent derby, we all remember what he did. Not having someone like him, given the importance of the match, would be a shame, as relayed by Milannews.it.
