No Zlatan no party: AC Milan need a Plan B

Zlatan Ibrahimović’s act of stupidity during Milan’s game against Bari on Sunday – striking Marco Rossi in the stomach – has cost his team the luxury of his services for three games, including the all-important Milan derby clash. Yet, for a player so decisive and so integral to his team’s game, it is difficult to figure out if this ban is negative for Milan, or positive.

The Swede has been complaining of tiredness for some time now. At the start of December, he was particularly vocal at the level of fatigue he was experiencing, and with good reason. In the first half of the season, up until the winter break, he had only failed to start in two of Milan’s 23 games – the season opener against Lecce, where he had just been signed, and the Champions League dead rubber group match against Ajax (a game where he came off the bench anyway). Of the 21 games he did start, Ibra was only substituted off the field in four of them.

The extended winter break he enjoyed, thanks to a suspension that ruled him out of the first game back, only eased the problem temporarily. Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri has continued to overuse Ibrahimović, despite further complaints of tiredness, starting him in 14 of the 16 games Milan have had since the resumption of the Serie A season in 2011 (and once again, he came off the bench in one of those games he sat out), and only substituting him out once.

Statistics like that give you an idea as to the importance Allegri places on Ibrahimović within his overall game plan. The coach tried to brush off Zlatan’s latest vocalisation of his fatigue by claiming that it is only mental tiredness the player is suffering. Unfortunately, his performances suggest that his exhaustion is a little more than just a state of mind.

He has not scored from open play since the end of January, and he has netted only one goal in his last nine games for the club (a penalty against Napoli). But more than just numbers, his affect on the team and his ability to influence games has declined compared to the earlier part of the campaign. He looks lethargic on the pitch and is starting to get more irritated when things are not going well – his red card being a case in point. He has the look of an individual who could genuinely do with a period of rest, and in that respect the three game ban has come at the right time, finally allowing the Rossoneri attack to be led by a player in better form and more optimal condition.

That is not to say Milan will not miss him, as even a below-par Ibrahimović is a dangerous opponent for any Serie A defender and a threat that has to be dealt with. A player who is happy to receive the ball aerially or along the ground is a huge asset to any forward line, especially for a relatively small one like Milan’s. The main concern for Allegri is how the team adapts to not having Zlatan on the pitch. It has been such a rare occurrence this season that they have not had a great deal of game time to develop a plan B, or a different method of attacking.

It is something Milan must do, and fast. Not just because the three games Ibrahimović will miss are potentially very tricky encounters (away to Palermo, the Milan derby, and away to Fiorentina), but that knowing the team can operate successfully without the big Swede will give Allegri the confidence he currently seems to lack to rest Zlatan from time to time in the future. In his defence, his hands have been tied somewhat by Filippo Inzaghi’s long-term injury, and chances are that if he was fit, he would have allowed Ibra to rest for at least a couple of games.

Nevertheless, he has had Alexandre Pato available, an individual who looks increasingly comfortable without Ibrahimović on the pitch and who looks capable of leading the line in his absence. It is the Brazilian to whom Allegri will turn to ensure Milan comes out unscathed from the three games without their most decisive offensive player. He had the same role in the Coppa Italia quarter-final against Sampdoria (one of those matches Ibra did not start), and scored twice in what was a generally terrific performance, so they are more than capable of coping.

It is that Milan show they can cope on a consistent basis, in consecutive matches, and not just in a one-off game. Forthcoming success will prevent the same mistakes and mishandling of Ibrahimović occurring again next season.

David Swan is Just Football’s Italian football correspondent. Follow him on Twitter @DavidLSwan

(photo credit: ACMilan.com)

AC Milan, Italian Serie A, Zlatan Ibrahimovic