The reality of that crowded treatment table became glaringly obvious this week. Midfielder Pape Sarr has become the latest casualty, with the Senegal international reportedly suffering a shoulder injury while away on national team duty. Sarr was unable to feature in Senegal’s recent friendly against Gambia, leaving De Zerbi with one less reliable engine in a midfield already stretched to its breaking point.
The timing could not be worse for the former Brighton boss, who has inherited a squad plagued by long-term absences. De Zerbi arrived at the training ground to find that stars such as Guglielmo Vicario, Rodrigo Bentancur, James Maddison, and Dejan Kulusevski are either sidelined or currently unavailable. With further injuries to Mathys Tel and Mohammed Kudus, the Italian coach is facing a selection nightmare as he prepares for his crucial trip to Sunderland on April 12.