Zlatan Ibrahimovic hopes for the second leg (Photo by Marco Luzzani / Getty Images)
AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been denied return to Old Trafford as the Swede was banned from his side’s Europa League first leg against Manchester United due to an injury.
The Serie A giants have been drawn in their last 16 games against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, and the Italians travel to Old Trafford for the first leg in ten days.
Ibrahimovic spent 18 months at the Theater of Dreams, scoring 26 goals in an impressive debut season with the Red Devils.
The Swede broke the ACL towards the end of his first campaign and moved to LA Galaxy in the middle of the following season.
Ibrahimovic was looking forward to a return to the North West but suffered a thigh injury and is sure to be ruled out in the first leg in England.
The veteran will now use his recovery to make it back in time for the second leg at the San Siro, but he also doubts it.
Ibrahimovic spent 18 months at Old Trafford (Photo by John Peters / Manchester United via Getty Images)
Ibrahimovic was a popular figure with the supporters and while the viewers wouldn’t be at Old Trafford in the first leg, his return was seen as a way for fans to say goodbye to Sweden properly.
He last played for the club in December 2017 in a 2-2 draw against Burnley and was unable to play two months later before moving to the USA.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted after the draw that he was looking forward to playing against the Swedish legend.
“We have a tradition of making it difficult for us to draw,” said Solskjaer.
“It’s another tie that you think could be a Champions League game. It’s good for us to have these games to look forward to. This team needs challenges and we enjoy challenges and take them on.
‘The tradition and history of AC Milan, it’s a great club that we welcome and it’s a great stadium that we go to and we look forward to it.
“Zlatan, of course, I was so impressed, I have to say how his career went. He had a career-threatening injury while here but came back from it and closed [the] MLS then came back to Milan and really picked them up.
‘They are on the rise and have done really well this season. I was so impressed with him. ‘
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