AC Milan planning to withhold Bennacer and Chukwueze amid AFCON clash with Coppa Italia

AC Milan are facing a potential January player exodus with key midfielders Ismael Bennacer and Samuel Chukwueze set to join their respective national teams for the Africa Cup of Nations. Both Algeria and Nigeria are among the tournament favorites, potentially leaving Milan without two crucial players for an extended period.

While Bennacer and Chukwueze are expected to be available for Milan’s Serie A match against Sassuolo on January 30th, their immediate departure for national team duty could see them miss the Coppa Italia round of 16 clash against Cagliari on January 2nd.

However, Milan haven’t given up on their Coppa Italia hopes. According to Peppe Di Stefano on Sky, the club has opened talks with both Algeria and Nigeria to convince them to allow their players to remain in Italy until January 3rd. This would allow Bennacer and Chukwueze to feature in the Coppa Italia match before joining their national teams.

Whether Algeria and Nigeria will agree to Milan’s proposal remains unclear. It’s important to note that the AFCON tournament itself doesn’t begin until January 14th, meaning the early January training camps are the main concern for Milan.