Midfield duo ruled out for Milan

AC Milan have been rocked by the loss of both Gennaro Gattuso and Alberto Aquilani ahead of this weekend’s derby with city rivals Inter.

Of the two withdrawals, the case of Gattuso is the more worrying, with the midfielder having been diagnosed with ocular myasthenia, an eye disease that the combative Italian contracted during the Rossoneri’s recent trip to Dubai.

According to the club’s official website, Gattuso, who has previously suffered diplopia in his left eye, must now undergo a period of rest while he receives treatment for the condition. It is not yet known how long he will be out of action for.

Aquilani, meanwhile, will be sidelined for a month with an ankle injury.

Milan go into the derby joint top of Serie A with Juventus, eight points clear of fifth-placed Inter, who have won five consecutive games.