After suffering a third straight loss in Serie A, Milan‘s miserable streak continues as they lose even more ground in their quest to qualify for the UEFA Champions League. The pressure mounts on the Rossoneri, who must find a way to bounce back against Lecce without one of their key players.
As head coach Sergio Conceicao and his players prepare for their crucial league match on March 8, a fresh setback has emerged. A key figure in the squad will be absent due to disciplinary action, forcing the manager to make adjustments to his starting lineup. With the quartet of Christian Pulisic, Joao Felix, Rafael Leao, and Santiago Gimenez under immense pressure to turn things around, they must now do so without a vital teammate.
It has now been confirmed that Mike Maignan, Milan’s first-choice goalkeeper, will miss the upcoming Serie A clash against Lecce due to suspension. The French shot-stopper has been handed a one-game ban and a €15,000 ($15,800) fine for an incident that occurred after Milan’s 2-1 loss to Lazio. According to the ruling by the Serie A Sports Judge, the 29-year-old was not sanctioned during the match but received a post-game suspension for disrespecting the referee in the tunnel leading to the locker rooms.
“For having, at the end of the match, in the tunnel leading to the locker rooms, addressed a disrespectful expression to the referee,” stated the official report, as cited by TMW.
This ruling has come as a surprise, given that the French shot-stopper was not shown a card during the game. However, his post-match actions have resulted in Milan being without their star goalkeeper for a crucial league fixture.
Controversial officiating and penalty decision
The suspension stems from a highly controversial moment in the match against Lazio. During added time, the Frenchman was penalized for a challenge on Gustav Isaksen, which led to a last-minute penalty for the Biancocelesti. The decision to award the penalty was contentious, as Maignan appeared to make a legitimate play for the ball, and the contact seemed minimal.
Despite the VAR intervention, the referee awarded the spot-kick after reviewing just one replay. The resulting penalty contributed to the Red and Blacks’ third consecutive Serie A defeat, adding further frustration to an already struggling squad.
What are Milan’s options without Maignan?
With Maignan suspended, Milan will turn to Marco Sportiello as his replacement. The Italian goalkeeper will be expected to step up in a game where the club cannot afford to drop more points.
Adding to Milan’s woes, Strahinja Pavlovic will also miss the match against Lecce after being sent off against Lazio. This means Conceicao will have to reshuffle his defense while also dealing with the absence of his starting goalkeeper.
