AC Milan Will Return from the Break as a Challenger on All Fronts

Coming off of an incredible season in Serie A in 2010-11, and with the terrific market they had in the summer, many were pegging AC Milan as a serious contender both in Italy and on the European stage.

So far, this hasn't been the case.

Massimiliano Allegri's men have struggled to a measly five points in five matches in Serie A, sitting six behind pace-setters Udinese and Juventus, who dominated their nearby rival en route to a 2-0 win in Turin a week ago. The season has also seen them fall 3-1 to Napoli and barely scrape by Cesena, while dumb mistakes have forced draws with Lazio and Udinese.

The UEFA Champions League has been a bit more friendly to the Rossoneri. The seven-time champions of the competition sit on four points through two matches following the epic comeback draw against Barcelona and a win over Viktoria Plzen 2-0 at the San Siro.

However, injuries have been the Achilles heel of AC Milan thus far.

At no point in the season have AC Milan had a completely healthy club, or close to it for that matter. Right off the bat, Milan were forced to deal with long-term injuries to Robinho, Taye Taiwo and Phillipe Mexes. Taiwo and Mexes were brought in as free transfers during the summer to aid an already fantastic defense. Taiwo was seen as the man to fill the main hole in the Milan squad, the left back position, while Mexes was seen as the successor to Alessandro Nesta in the middle.

Things have only gotten worse from there. The day before the Barcelona match, Zlatan Ibrahimovic was lost to injury and even though he scored and assisted against Viktoria, he has just returned to Serie A action against Juventus.

During the Barcelona game, Milan lost Kevin-Prince Boateng and his replacement, Massimo Ambrosini, injured his shoulder.

Alexandre Pato hasn't played since September 21st, forcing Allegri to look to youngster Stephan El Shaarawy and play Antonio Cassano far more than anticipated. While both have played well, Milan need their big three healthy.

Other injuries have included Ignazio Abate, Gianluca Zambrotta and Alessandro Nesta. Virtually, the entirety of Milan's core squad has picked up some sort of injury or another. The club will be fortunate that Christian Abbiati and Thiago Silva have not endured the injury bug. That has helped to lessen the damage a little bit. Now with the international break and time to recover, AC Milan are looking primed to return with a strong squad and a revitalized desire for trophies this year.

The two weeks off has been advantageous. Internationals have been playing well with their national teams, highlighted by Antonio Cassano's two goals against Northern Ireland in Euro 2012 Qualifying. It has also provided the injured players with a chance to recover.

Milan fans will be excited heading into the game against Palermo this Saturday. Robinho and Ignazio Abate are both expected to return to the squad. Phillipe Mexes is also expected to make his debut for Milan as the club plans to rest Thiago Silva.

With Ibrahimovic, Robinho, Abate, and Mexes healthy and ready to go, the Rossoneri are ready to compete. They will be a competitive threat to Palermo and the more players heal, the more Milan are going to win.

Injuries have always been an issue for Milan, but it may be a blessing in disguise that they have all happened now. The Milan Lab is doing everything it can to make sure these players don't come back until they are absolutely ready and are working to ensure that they remain healthy all year.

At full strength, AC Milan are one of the best teams on the planet, with one of the top defenses and a star-studded offense. Being only six points back with 33 games to play is of no concern at all. Allegri's men are going to be strong, dangerous and potentially lifting the Scudetto once again at season's end.

In Europe, Milan have already proven they can hang with the best, even with the abundance of injuries. When they return to full strength, they have a chance of winning Group H in the Champions League and mounting a massive assault on the rest of Europe's best clubs. This is a team that may likely need one or two players in January to complete their mission, but they can definitely hoist the world's biggest club football honor this year.