Zlatan Ibrahimovic s arrival at Milan last year was a godsend that helped transform the club, according to head coach Stefano Pioli.
The ex-Sweden international returned to San Siro for a second permanent spell with the Italian giants roughly a year ago, making his second debut as a substitute against Sampdoria on January 6.
He has been in sensational form since then, scoring 20 and assisting six goals in 24 Serie A matches in 2020, a tally bettered only by Ciro Immobile (34 goal involvements in 33 games) and Cristiano Ronaldo (38 in 29).
Ibrahimovic s haul includes a return of 10 goals in six league matches in the first half of this season, two of those strikes coming in Milan s 3-1 win over Napoli in November before he limped off with an injury that has kept him sidelined since.
That double saw him match Gunnar Nordahl for the second-most Serie A goals from the first eight games played of a season, behind only Marco van Basten (12 in 1992-93).
Me and my best friends
— Zlatan Ibrahimović (@Ibra_official)
Ibrahimovic is also the oldest player to net at least 10 goals in the first eight Serie A matchdays, and Pioli has hailed the veteran striker s impact over the past 12 months.
When he arrived, we knew it was a delicate moment, it was a godsend, it gave a shock and energy that the team did not have at that moment, Pioli said at a news conference previewing Sunday s trip to Benevento.
The January transfer market has given us a hand in the past. But let s think about the match against Benevento.
As well as struggling with niggling injuries, Ibrahimovic has also spent a spell on the sidelines this term with coronavirus.
Milan have fared well in the 39-year-old s absence, however, winning six and drawing two of the eight Serie A matches he has missed for a 75 per cent win rate, compared to 66.7 per cent across the six games he has started.
But while Pioli is unwilling to rush Ibrahimovic s return, he is understandably eager to get one of his key men back on the field.
Heading out, destination:
In viaggio verso Benevento
— AC Milan (@acmilan)
He can t wait to get back, but we need caution, he said. I hope he can come back as soon as possible.
Another key performer for Serie A table-toppers Milan this season has been full-back Theo Hernandez, who has chipped in with three goals and an assist in his past three outings.
Hernandez was directly involved in 11 league goals – six scored and five assisted – in 2020 and also completed the most successful dribbles in the competition (57).
That includes a last-gasp winner against Lazio last time out, though Pioli can see the former Real Madrid man getting better with time.
He has played for [Real] Madrid and has incredible potential, Pioli said. With work, he is improving day by day, proving to be at a high level.
But he can still improve in both phases of the game.
