Marco Van Ginkel Injury: Updates on AC Milan Star's Ankle and Return

Updates from Thursday, Sept. 25

Marco van Ginkel is set for a month-long spell on the sidelines following the ankle injury picked up in AC Milan's clash with Empoli on Tuesday.

Pete O'Rourke of Sky Sports provides the latest:

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Midfielder Marco van Ginkel's AC Milan debut was cut short Tuesday due to injury, and it may be quite some time before he sees the pitch again.

According to AC Milan's official website, the 21-year-old Dutchman sprained his right ankle and suffered ligament damage in Tuesday's 2-2 draw against Empoli. The club has yet to release a timetable for his return, however.

Per Football Italia on Twitter, van Ginkel is scheduled to undergo testing on Wednesday in order to determine the true severity of the injury:

Despite the fact that van Ginkel has only been a professional player since 2010, this isn't his first potentially serious injury. He damaged his ACL last year, although Dan Levene of Get West London is hopeful that this ailment will pale in comparison:

Not only is the injury disappointing for Rossoneri fans, but it also impacts those who support Chelsea. The Blues loaned van Ginkel to AC Milan back on Sept. 1 in hopes that he could ply his trade in Serie A.

According to The Guardian (h/t ACMilan.com), van Ginkel was looking forward to receiving increased playing time with his temporary club.

"I believe at Milan I will have the opportunity to play more games in what is a big competition, with many strong teams," van Ginkel said.

Unfortunately, his development will have to be put on hold for the time being. Chelsea are on a roll in the Premier League currently, so the injury won't impact them right now, but it could mean that van Ginkel won't be ready to make the EPL jump as quickly as anticipated.

Also, he figured to be a key piece for Milan this season. There hasn't been any indication regarding how long van Ginkel will be on the shelf, but ligament damage is never encouraging news.

The Dutch up-and-comer is certainly talented enough to reach his fullest potential when he does return, but this injury undoubtedly makes the road that much tougher.

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