AC Milan midfielder Ardon Jashari is set for an extended run in the team following a facial fracture to veteran playmaker Luka Modric, according to reports from Italy. The Swiss international, signed from Club Brugge last summer, is expected to step into the central midfield role for the Rossoneri's crucial final month of the season as they chase Champions League qualification. Modric sustained a fractured left cheekbone in a collision with Manuel Locatelli during a recent Serie A match, sidelining the Croatian for the immediate future.
This development presents a critical opportunity for Jashari, who has endured a difficult debut season in Italy marked by limited minutes and an early fibula fracture. The 23-year-old has managed just 487 minutes across eleven league appearances, only four of which were starts. With Modric unavailable, manager Massimiliano Allegri views Jashari as a deep-lying playmaker rather than a box-to-box midfielder, a role the young player must now grow into rapidly. Milan's primary objective of securing a top-four finish adds significant pressure to his performances.
The context of Jashari's arrival adds weight to this moment. Milan secured his signature in a deal worth nearly 40 million euros, making him the club's second-most expensive signing of last summer behind only Christopher Nkunku. The protracted negotiations between Milan and Club Brugge underscored the high expectations placed on the midfielder, who reportedly chose Milan over other European suitors. His adaptation from Belgian football to the tactical rigors of Serie A has, however, been a challenging process.
Jashari's only start in a Milan victory came in a 1-0 win over Lecce, a match decided by a Niclas Füllkrug goal. The team's reliance on him in the coming weeks will demand a consistent replication of that performance level. While fellow midfielder Samuele Ricci remains an alternative, Allegri is now tasked with unlocking the potential that prompted Milan's significant investment. The coming fixtures will serve as an audition not just for the remainder of this season, but for Jashari's long-term future at the club.
Looking ahead, even if Modric, whose contract expires this summer, decides to remain for another season, his advancing age suggests a reduced role. This final stretch could therefore establish Jashari as the natural successor in Milan's midfield hierarchy. For a player who has thus far been a peripheral figure, the next month represents a decisive chance to justify his price tag and secure his place in Allegri's plans for the club's European ambitions.
