Zlatan Ibrahimovic likely to play against Shamrock Rovers

Swedish superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic is winning his race to be fit for AC Milan's Europa League tie against Dublin side Shamrock Rovers.

Thursday night will see the Italian giants roll into Dublin to take on the Airtricity League leaders in a Europa League second round qualifier.

It had originally looked like Zlatan might miss the game, having sat out the majority of Milan's pre-season.

However, his return to training was confirmed this evening following a leg injury and it is now looking as though he could be in contention to start the game.

If Ibrahimovic does indeed play on Thursday, he will represent the toughest assignment many of the Shamrock Rovers defenders will have likely faced in their careers so far.

With 467 goals in a career spanning across 21 years, the now 38-year-old shows no signs of slowing down.

The Dublin side will relish coming up against one of the world's best players and will hope to keep him and Milan's supporting cast quiet in Tallaght Stadium.

As there are no two-legged affairs taking place in European competition at the moment, the hoops will need a monumental effort to overcome one of the biggest clubs in the history of European football.

Manager Stephen Bradley said his side are taking things one game at a time following Rovers' latest victory in the Airtricity League, where they are currently 8 points clear at the top of the table.

"We just have to keep focusing on the next game. And when we got drawn against Milan, within the group it was 'next league game'.

"But now we can enjoy Milan, we can go and play that game, and then it is back to business against Waterford who showed yesterday, picking up three points, that they are a good side."

Bradley will now hope his side can somehow replicate the 3-0 victory they got against Cork at the weekend against Paolo Maldini's AC Milan.