AC Milan boosted by Kaka's return from injury

MILAN, April 4 (Serie A) - AC Milan have been boosted by the news that Brazilian midfielder Kaka is fit to face relegation-threatened Cagliari on Saturday.

Kaka trained on Friday having fully recovered from a knee injury sustained last month.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti will be relieved to have the South American star back on the team with the Rossoneri having struggled to make an impact without their top scorer.

Sunday's 2-1 defeat at home to Atalanta saw the Rossoneri drop to sixth in the Serie A standings, four points behind Fiorentina, who hold the last Champions League qualifying spot.

Milan have lost three of their last four Serie A encounters and with seven games left to play, club president Silvio Berlusconi will be hoping his players can get their act together.

Berlusconi said: 'I am worried just as all the Rossoneri fans are.

'I want to see a winning Milan side.'

Milan players were booed by the home crowd during last weekend's performance and Emerson believes that despite their poor run of late at the San Siro, where his team have only managed to collect one point in their last three encounters, the players do not deserve such treatment.

'All the players always go out on the pitch trying to give their best,' he said.

'The important thing is to understand where we have gone wrong and try to make sure we don4t make the same mistakes again.'

Rossoneri supporters have reason to be upset considering that they had high expectations this campaign.

Milan won the European Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup earlier this season.

However, Ancelotti's side are out of the Scudetto race and were knocked out by Catania in the last 16 of the Coppa Italia before waving goodbye to the Champions League after being eliminated by Arsenal last month.

Failure to qualify to Europe's elite club competition would be a huge blow for the Rossoneri and could put Ancelotti's future at the club into question.

However, Berlusconi has given a vote of confidence to Ancelotti ahead of this weekend4s clash.

'You only change a coach to make an improvement,' said Berlusconi.

'Who could Milan get who is better than Carlo? Carlo is the best choice and he will stay.'

Rivals Cagliari travel to the mainland inspired by their positive run, which has seen them avoid defeat in the past four encounters.

Despite holding title-chasing Roma to a 1-1 home draw last weekend, coach Davide Ballardini, who will serve a touchline ban on Saturday, knows his side will face a battle against the Rossoneri.

'It is the worst possible time to face them,' he said. 'They will be angry and will have much desire to make amends.'

The Rossoblu are currently in 18th place but are level on 29 points with Parma, Catania and Livorno and they will be desperate not to lose ground this weekend.

The hosts will have to do without experienced defender Alessandro Nesta, who serves his first of a two-match ban.

Moreover, right-back Massimo Oddo is unavailable having undergone surgery on his knee on Thursday.

The visitors will have to do without injured defender Paolo Bianco.

Saturday, April 5, 2008
Time Home Away VENUE
17:00 UK Roma v Genoa Stadio Olimpico
19:30 UK AC Milan v Cagliari Giuseppe Meazza
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Time Home Away VENUE
14:00 UK Torino v Empoli Delle Alpi
14:00 UK Catania Calcio v Napoli Angelo Massimino
14:00 UK Sampdoria v Livorno Luigi Ferraris
14:00 UK Siena v Udinese Artemio Franchi
14:00 UK Parma v Lazio Ennio Tardini
14:00 UK Atalanta v Inter Milan Atleti Azzurri d'Italia
14:00 UK Fiorentina v Reggina Artemio Franchi
19:30 UK Palermo v Juventus Renzo Barbera