We all have a lot to lose, says Milan coach Gattuso

AC Milan coach Gennaro Gattuso says he and his players are fighting for their futures as they seek to bounce back from a shock defeat to Benevento.

Milan suffered a surprising 1-0 loss to the league’s bottom side at the San Siro last weekend, which led Gattuso to scrap a family holiday in Spain and cancel proposed days off for his players.

Having slipped behind Atalanta in the race for Europa League qualification, Milan can ill-afford another slip-up when they visit Bologna on Sunday.

“After losing to Benevento we touched bottom. Now we assume our responsibilities. I’m the first one to do so. It wasn’t right to concede the team days off, even if some of the players were not happy about it,” Gattuso told a news conference.

“Me too, I had already planned two days of holidays in Spain with my family. I ripped the tickets and I stayed here to work with my boys.

“It was a burning defeat for me and also for the players. I’m not the only one whose position at the club is at risk. We all have a lot to lose.”

“It’s a must-win [match against Bologna]. We can’t afford to make a mistake and we must be very attentive.”

#Gattuso: “When you coach #ACMilan, the pressure will always be there. Now is the time to show courage, in the management of my players, in our communication, in the relationship with the media. We have a lot to lose and no time to waste on gossiping”#BolognaMilan

— AC Milan (@acmilan) April 28, 2018

Gattuso confirmed that Alessio Romagnoli and Lucas Biglia will both miss out once again as they continue their recoveries from injury, although the former has returned to training.

“Alessio [Romagnoli] has been training for the last four days and increasing the intensity. He will start to do some athletic workout next week and then we will make further tests,” Gattuso added.

“Biglia? If it was for him he would be already training with us, even if he is still in pain. We can’t rush these things. We need to make appropriate evaluations.

“If I listen to him I will just allow him to get hurt again. He has such a strong spirit and great sense of belonging. We need to do things the right way.”