AC Milan's Pato to miss start of Serie A season due to fresh injury

The Rossoneri striker has picked up another knock and could be out for up to three weeks, and will most likely not feature in his team's Serie A opener this weekend
AC Milan attacker Alexandre Pato has been dealt a cruel blow in his quest to regain full fitness as he has suffered another injury mere days before the restart of the Italian championship.The Brazilian picked up a knock on his left abductor during a training session on Wednesday, which coincided with the arrival of Giampaolo Pazzini in a swap deal involving Antonio Cassano.

The 22-year-old will undergo a scan in the coming days to determined the extent of the damage.

"AC Milan announces that during a game held in today's workout, Alexandre Pato has reported a problem with his left adductor," the team said in a statement. "In the coming days further medical examinations will be made to determine the extent of the damage."

Pato was restricted to just 11 Serie A appearances last season, due to persistent injury problems.