Milan hamstrung by Pirlo thigh injury

UEFA Cup contenders AC Milan have been dealt a blow with the news that influential midfielder Andrea Pirlo is likely to miss both legs of their first round tie with FC Zürich due to a right thigh problem.

Training trouble
The 29-year-old sustained the muscular injury in training on Tuesday, and although Milan are unsure exactly how long the Italy playmaker will be sidelined for, the club feel he is at least several weeks away from a first-team return and will therefore miss the Rossoneri's home-and-away meetings with the Swiss side on 18 September and 2 October. The full extent of the injury will be revealed on Friday when further scans will take place, Milan said. It is another setback for coach Carlo Ancelotti, who is already without Pirlo's fellow Italian international midfielder Gennaro Gattuso and has presided over two defeats – against Bologna FC and Genoa CFC – to start their Serie A campaign.