Liverpool gets AC Milan injury boost as ex-Arsenal star ruled out of Champions League clash

Liverpool has received a major boost ahead of its clash with AC Milan after a key man for the Serie A side was ruled out of Tuesday's Champions League clash.

The Reds kick-off their European campaign with a trip to the San Siro tomorrow night as they look to immediately bounce back from Saturday's shock 1-0 home defeat to Nottingham Fores t in the Premier League , bringing an end to Arne Slot's perfect start as Liverpool manager.

But a quick turnaround allows the visitors to get back to winning ways with a positive performance against the Italians, where three points could go a long way in the race to reach the knockout stages.

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And Liverpool has now been given a major boost ahead of Tuesday's game in Italy, with the Rossoneri confirming that midfielder Ismaël Bennacer has been ruled out of the clash after undergoing calf surgery.

An official club statement released on Monday read: "AC Milan can confirm that Ismaël Bennacer underwent surgery in Finland this morning. The operation on his right calf was performed by Dr Lasse Lempainen. His recovery period is estimated to be four months."

The former Arsenal midfielder, who made just one appearance for the Gunners between 2015 and 2017, had been absent from Saturday's 4-0 victory over Venezia in Serie A with a calf muscle tear, having also missed out on the 2-2 draw with Lazio prior to the international break.

Bennacer's only appearance of the season came in the opening weekend clash with Torino, where he started the game and managed 59 minutes of the 2-2 draw at the San Siro before being dropped to the bench for the 2-1 defeat away to Parma.

Nonetheless, his absence provides a boost for Liverpool heading into Tuesday's game, leaving AC Milan still light on numbers in midfield to face Slot's side. For Saturday's victory over Venezia, it was Tijjani Reijnders, Youssouf Fofana and former Chelsea man Ruben Loftus-Cheek who formed the midfield three.

USMNT international Yunus Musah and 19-year-old academy graduate Kevin Zeroli were the only other options on the bench, meaning manager Paulo Fonseca may be forced to stick with the same midfield trio for the visit of Liverpool - something the Reds can exploit when it comes to tired legs.

Bennacer, who primarily plays as a defensive midfielder but can also operate in a more advanced role, has made 171 appearances for AC Milan since signing from fellow Serie A side Empoli in 2019, yet was restricted to just 25 games last season following more long-term injury struggles.