Milan Derby Over Brazilian

Milan and Inter seem to be fighting over the signature of Brazilian defender Thiago Silva from Fluminense
The 23 year old Brazilian has garnered the attention of a host of European clubs, but the two Milan giants have shown the most interest in the player.

Both the Rossoneri and the Nerazzurri have suffered injury set-backs during the pre-season period, and both are set to decide whether to dip into the market to cover for the absences of crucial players, or wait until the January transfer window.

Nesta for Milan and Materazzi for Inter, have both recently picked up injuries.

With the Serie A season less then a month away, the Milanese teams are seriously considering a move for Thiago Silva to fill the gaps in defence.

Reports in Italy state that Inter's original plan was to go for the stopper during the January transfer window, but with the injuries affecting the team these plans may have changed.

Further reports are now linking Milan with Silva, potentially hijacking the deal from their bitter rival cousins. An aging Milan defence would benefit from an injection of youth into the back line, but Inter would be losing a solution to their defensive woes.

After seeming like a done deal, the Nerazzurri may end up watching this transfer slip through their fingers into their backyard.

Massimo Moratti and Adriano Galliani will certainly be keeping tabs on the needs and wants of this popular Brazilian defender in the days to come, hoping to snap him up as quickly as possible.

Peter Pedroncelli

Stendardo in AC Milan link

The agent of Lazio defender Guglielmo Stendardo has claimed that Milan have asked after his client.

The Rossoneri are keen to swell their defensive ranks before the end of the month when the transfer window closes.

After the injury to Alessandro Nesta, Carlo Ancelotti is short of numbers at the back and Stendardo, who spent half of last term on loan to Juventus, could be the answer.

“There has been nothing concrete yet, but I have been told that there has been contact between the clubs,” representative Gateano Fedele told Tuttomercatoweb.

“Lazio President Claudio Lotito is in charge of the situation but we have given our go-ahead for the transfer because they are a great club.”

Stendardo joined Lazio in 2005 but has played just 39 games for the Aquile and fell out of favour after a series of rows with Coach Delio Rossi last term.

Kaka: 'I'm in bad shape'

Milan’s woes increase as Kaka admits his knee problem is so bad he isn’t sure when he’ll be able to play again.

“I am in bad shape. I don’t know when I’ll be back,” he told journalists this evening.

The Brazilian limped off during this week’s 1-0 defeat to Sevilla in Moscow and was ruled out of today’s 5-0 thrashing by Chelsea.

Officially the club website would only confirm it was “an inflammation of the knee,” but reports from Brazil paint a far darker picture.

They suggest it is a case of tendonitis in the same knee that underwent surgery in May and will keep him on the sidelines for at least two weeks.

With Ronaldinho and Alexandre Pato at the Olympics, Marco Borriello out for two months following meniscus ligament surgery on his knee and Pippo Inzaghi dealing with recurring muscular problems, this leaves Milan with no strikers.

Only 18-year-old Alberto Paloschi is available and he cannot play two games on the trot. Paloschi was left on the bench for today’s 5-0 defeat to Chelsea in a line-up so reshuffled that Massimo Ambrosini and Andrea Pirlo had to play upfront.

With this situation deteriorating and Robinho’s admission he wants to join Chelsea, it is increasingly likely that the Rossoneri will make a bid to bring Andriy Shevchenko back to San Siro.

Sheva faced his former club for the first time since making that £30m move in Moscow and it provides the two sides with the perfect opportunity to discuss his future.