At thirty-seven years old, Olivier Giroud nonetheless remains essential within AC Milan which is making a lot of use of him this season. A little too much, according to some.
The years go by and Olivier Giroud is still there. While many observers thought he was finished when he was still playing at Chelsea, the 2018 world champion has once again foiled the plans of the fatalists by finding new momentum on the side of AC Milan. Champion of Italy last season with his team, the thirty-seven-year-old veteran has become a full-fledged starter this year. His coach, Stefano Pioli, does not hesitate to make him play a lot. Some are concerned about this sustained use.
A concern coming from France and linked to a Euro 2024 which is fast approaching. Journalist at The Team, Loïc Tanzi spoke on the subject Tuesday evening. “ I’m worried about him because he plays too much. Physically, I think he’s struggling at the moment. The big problem at Milan is that there is no one behind him to take over. (Luka) Jovic comes back a little bit. (…) Milan needs a striker to breathe life into Olivier Giroud, because we need him for the Euro. (…) When we watch his matches, he is tired. »
The Jovic solution
The statistics prove for their part that the French center forward is often on the pitch with his team, having taken part in twenty-one matches since the start of the season, in all competitions, for a total of 1,610 minutes. In fifteen Serie A matches, Olivier Giroud has scored eight goals and provided five assists. He also found the net once in the Champions League, again with an assist.
Tuesday evening, Giroud was left on the bench by his coach, during the great success of the Milanese against Cagliari, in the Italian Cup (4-1). Luka Jovic started and scored twice. If the latter’s return to form is confirmed, it could be the solution to allow his teammate to breathe. It also remains to be seen whether Rossoneri recruiters will look for an external solution during the winter transfer window which has just started this Monday.
