Against Lazio in the Coppa Italia, the Rossoneri coach will give the Swiss player some playing time; he’s only had two brief appearances at the start of the season before fracturing his fibula. The midfielder will provide another option in an already deep midfield

He draws inspiration from Baggio and Pirlo, and has always worn number 30 because Messi also started with that number. As for role models, let’s just say that Ardon Jashari isn’t one to keep a low profile. He’s got personality, as everyone who knows him well will tell you. And then again, without that very personality—which led him to take a very firm stance against Bruges this summer—who knows if the deal would have actually gone through at Milanello. The prospects certainly looked promising, but they weren’t backed up by results. It wasn’t his fault, though—just bad luck that put him in the wrong path during training with Gimenez. The result: a compound fracture of his right fibula, two months sidelined, and nine games spent in the infirmary. The light at the end of the tunnel appeared in early November, when the midfielder reappeared on the matchday roster against Roma.

For now, though, he’s still not back on the field. Jashari has only managed a handful of minutes split between the league (16 minutes against Cremonese) and the Coppa Italia (24 minutes against Bari). In total, not even a full half of play—everything was derailed by the nasty injury that dashed his ambitions and deprived Allegri of a useful player. Now, it finally seems his time has come. On Thursday at the Olimpico against Lazio—in a match that promises to be quite electric following the refereeing controversies in the league—Ardon will step back onto the field. In the next two training sessions, Allegri will decide whether to start him or not, but in short, the Swiss player is poised to return to being what he was signed for: a key player—after all, he cost 34 million plus bonuses—and not just a bit player.

an extra weapon—  His most significant strength is his ability to play in both phases of the game. Jashari has enough skill on the ball to be valuable in building plays (in addition to his knack for making runs into the box) and the necessary competitive edge to protect the defense. When it comes to winning the ball back, he doesn’t hesitate. And he also has another asset that works in his favor: based on his characteristics, he can play as an inside midfielder or a central midfielder, but also in front of the defense, as Allegri has emphasized in recent days. In other words: the Rossoneri coach is adding another weapon to a midfield that’s already very strong and well-rounded. For Ardon, the competition is fierce, especially after losing his starting spot due to his absence. There are untouchables like Modric and Rabiot; there’s a versatile player—sometimes erratic but still valuable—like Fofana; and there are high-caliber alternatives like Ricci and Loftus. It’s in this context that the Swiss player will have to fight his way into the spotlight, starting with the match against Roma, so he can secure a permanent spot in the rotation. An intriguing—though not always feasible, of course—scenario could be a midfield featuring him alongside Modric and Rabiot: creativity, skillful footwork, attacking runs, and solid defensive cover. It sounds good.