Considering how long the negotiations with Club Brugge lasted and, above all, how much Milan invested to buy him outright (almost €40 million including bonuses), expectations for Ardon Jashari were very high. Unfortunately, however, the serious injury he suffered at the end of August (a clean fracture of his right fibula after a collision in training with Santiago Gimenez) greatly complicated things.
The Swiss player was forced to stay out for quite some time, which significantly slowed his adaptation both to Max Allegri’s Milan and to Italian football in general, which is very different from the Belgian game. On top of that, during his enforced absence, the Rossoneri found the perfect balance in midfield with Luka Modrić setting the tempo in front of the defense. In the summer, when the Croatian arrived at Milanello, it was thought he would play as a box-to-box midfielder like he did at Real Madrid, but after discussing his role on the pitch with Allegri, the Milan coach decided to place him in the deep-lying playmaker position.
Jashari learning from Modric at AC Milan:
And with someone like Modrić in front of him, it is really difficult for Jashari to find space. But the Swiss player must not get discouraged; instead, he should make the most of this season to learn as much as possible from a champion like the Croatian. Also because next year, with a likely return to European competitions, Milan will have many more matches, and if Modrić renews his contract, it’s unthinkable that the former Real Madrid star will be able to play them all. That’s when the Swiss midfielder will step in: after these months of apprenticeship, he will have to prove he is ready to take charge of the Rossoneri midfield, as pointed out via Milan News.
