Ranieri: “We want to keep progressing against AC Milan”

Claudio Ranieri wants his Sampdoria team to build on their progress so far this season as they travel to high-flying AC Milan on Saturday.

“We’re up against a good side that many associate with [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic but that are much more than that in reality,” said Ranieri, speaking in his pre-match press conference on Saturday. “They’re still fighting for the Scudetto but we’ll be ready because we haven’t yet achieved our objectives. We want to keep progressing.”

Ranieri went on to provide an update on the squad following the international break.

“There is always a risk of injury, plus right now there’s even more apprehension because of COVID-19,” said the coach. “That said, international break is far from being an inconvenience. Those that are lucky enough to represent their country get a massive boost of confidence.

“I’ve lost [Albin] Ekdal but thankfully it doesn’t look like a serious injury. [Adrien] Silva, who will replace him, is one of our biggest assets. All those who stayed in Bogliasco have trained well and I’m sure that we can pick a competitive team that will play a tenacious, resilient game.”