Preview: Mario Balotelli is the latest headache for the Rossoneri
While Balotelli may be a constant headache for the Milan management, due to his on and off the pitch antics, he handed the Italian outfit another setback.
Super Mario's injury will definitely be a big loss, given how many times he has come to the rescue for Allegri's side. Who will now step up and score goals for Milan in his absence? Could the pressure fall on the shoulders of one Alessandro Matri?
The former Juve forward will need to guide his new club past Udinese, who is eighth in the Serie A table, four spots and two points ahead of Milan.
Udinese's last visit to the San Siro ended in a defeat, but they will not have to worry about the key figure of that match. Milan won 2-1, and go figure, Balotelli scored both goals, cancelling out Giampiero Pinzi's equalizer. And very much like has happened this season, Balotelli's match winning goal came from the penalty spot, in the 94th minute.
With only two victories from their opening seven matches, Allegri's side needs to start winning matches, if they are going to have any chance of having a successful campaign. Hosting an Udinese side who has lost all three of their away fixtures this season could do the trick, but it will not be easy.
A very poor and inconsistent backline for the Rossoneri will have to contain Antonio Di Natale, who already has three goals in the current campaign. But away from, Udinese is averaging two goals again from their three matches, which could turn this into a goal scoring frenzy.
Some positive news for the hosts will be the return of Kaka, Matias Silvestre and Valter Birsa. But as become habit, Allegri has added bad news, with the suspension of Mexes and Nigel De Jong.
This match has goals writen all over it, and it is not because of the high-flying offenses on show, but because of the poor defensive records.
Without Super Mario and El Shaarawy, Milan will have to find goals elsewhere, which could be difficult, although Muntari has three goals of his own this season. Another option to find the back of the net could be Robinho, who has two goals.
Could Saturday's match with the Zebrette give the Rossoneri a good chance of claiming their third victory in the current campaign? It is possible, but it may not the most eye catching match to watch.
Where to watch the match - live stream, start time, TV channels, live scores
Watch AC Milan vs Udinese live on Saturday, October 19, 2013:
In Canada at 14:45 ET on: RAI Internazionale, beIN Sport Play Canada
In UK at 19:45 BST on: BT Sport 1
In USA at 14:45 ET on: RAI Internazionale, beIN Sport Play
In Italy, tune into Sky Calcio 1, Sky Supercalcio HD, Sky Sport 1 HD Italia. For full live listings as well as live scores upon kick-off, please visit the Milan-Udinese match page.
