Milan Full-Back Andrea Conti on the Cusp of a Return After 5-Month Injury Lay-Off

AC Milan full-back Andrea Conti has resumed training for the first time in five months following his ACL tear shortly after signing for the club.

The 23-year-old is nearing a long-awaited return to action with the first team, after participating in a mini-game for the Rossoneri., according to MilanNews.it.

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It has been a hugely frustrating time for Conti, who joined the club from Atalanta for a reported fee of €24m, after only being able to make two Serie A appearances and three in the Europa League.

Speaking back in November, Conti revealed that he would be back around the time of March and it would appear he is right on schedule. He said, as quoted by Calciomercato: "Doctors told me I could return in March, but it all depends on my knee. Sometimes I’ve run but it’s still painful, I’ve never tried to use the ball since I got injured."

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"I miss playing football, it’s the best thing for me. I supported Juventus when I was a child, now we all support AC Milan. I have a puppy at home, his name is Arturo Vidal."

Conti, who had to undergo surgery on his injured knee, has had to watch on from the sidelines as his teammates have fell short of expectation in Serie A this season.

The club's owner invested heavily last summer to bring in a host of new players, but the Rossoneri lie seventh after 25 games and a Champions League place is highly unlikely.