AC Milan CEO Adriano Galliani has said that the club could have been a lot more competitive in the division had key players like Antonio Cassano and Gattuso been fit for the large part of the season.
AC Milan have struggled with injuries this season, with the pair of Antonio Cassano and Gattuso being the main absentees from the starting line-up.
Antonio Cassano had to undergo a heart surgery recently, while Gattuso has had a number of problems related to his age. Juventus have been able to capitalise on the misfortunes of AC Milan on this front by taking a three-point lead in the Italian Serie A.
Adriano Galliani reckons that AC Milan could have been at the top of the table by a long distance had these two players been fit for the most of the season. Cassano showed his importance to the team this weekend against Siena after setting up two goals and scoring one for himself.
Even though the 4-1 win was followed by a 4-0 win for Juventus, it showed that AC Milan were a different team with Cassano in the squad. Gattuso also made his return to the starting line-up in the match against Siena and was at his usual best.
“The real regret for this year, as I said it to [Silvio] Berlusconi on the phone, is about Gattuso and Cassano. With the two of them we would have gained some more points, the team has had more injuries than normal. Dr. Tavana was fundamental to Antonio and he knows what he has done for him that night. Their embrace was beautiful and meaningful,” Galliani said on the official website of AC Milan. Juventus are now in a position where they can win the title if they win their matches against Lecce and Cagliari.