Stephan El Shaarawy has outlined his determination to play this weekend in the Milan derby and to make Italy’s World Cup squad.
The youngster is ready to make a bid for a return to first-team football, having recently returned to training after several months out with a problematic foot injury first suffered in September.
Stephan El Shaarawy has outlined his determination to play this weekend in the Milan derby and to make Italy’s World Cup squad.
The youngster is ready to make a bid for a return to first-team football, having recently returned to training after several months out with a problematic foot injury first suffered in September.
“I know that it will be hard to get on that plane, I have very little time available,” El Shaarawy has first admitted to the Gazzetta dello Sport today.
“But I have a clear objective in my head, to do well with Milan and to return to the national team.
“I want to prove to everyone, including Prandelli, that I am fine. I want to do everything possible.
“Why should I not believe in the World Cup? Prandelli knows what I can contribute and the call-up for the tests at Coverciano made me enormously pleased.
“I know I do not have 90 minutes in the legs, but I will do everything possible to play in the derby [this weekend against Inter], even 20 or 30 minutes in the second half could be important.
“I want to make a contribution to the run-in for the Europa League.
“I played with the Primavera and in talking with Pippo Inzaghi discovered that even he at my age had the same issue.
“Because of the career he has had, I can say that I can dream big.
“The hardest day was ahead of the Ajax game, with the injury. Then, I have to say that if I had forced the operation then I would not have lost the four months that I did.”