Milan coach Stefano Pioli hopes Ismael Bennacer and Fikayo Tomori will be back against Tottenham next week, while it’s still unsure whether Spurs boss Antonio Conte will be on the touchline at San Siro.
The Rossoneri prepare to face Torino at San Siro tonight. They are without Mike Maignan, Fikayo Tomori, Alessandro Florenzi and Ismael Bennacer, but Pioli hopes at least two of them will recover for the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16 against Tottenham next week.
“Maignan’s recovery is progressing well, he has resumed work on the pitch even if not with the team, the scar is working well. I don’t know when he will be back,” Pioli said at a press conference on Thursday.
“Bennacer and Tomori have been given to me to work with the squad since Sunday, so I hope they will be available in the Champions League.”
Meantime, Spurs will face Leicester City away on Saturday, but it’s still unsure whether Conte will be guiding his team against the Foxes.
The Italian tactician was diagnosed with cholecystitis less than two weeks ago and has undergone surgery in Italy.
He returned to England earlier this week and was at the Tottenham training ground on Thursday.
“Antonio is back. This morning he was on the pitch with us,” his assistant Cristian Stellini said at a press conference yesterday, as quoted by Football London.
“He has to take it easy for a bit. We were so happy to meet him again on the training ground. He spent rime hugging everyone. We didn’t speak about what he would do in the next match, but he is back and we are happy for that. We have time to arrive in the game happy.”
Il Corriere dello Sport reported last week that Conte could return against the Foxes or Milan, but given Stellini’s words, it is still uncertain the Italian tactician will be on the touchline at San Siro next week.