"Training with Ibrahimovic has made me nastier!" — Former Chelsea star warns ex-teammates ahead of AC Milan clash.

The former Chelsea star has warned his former teammates of what to expect following Wednesday's clash with AC Milan.

Fikayo Tomori admits that he has developed a “nasty” streak after working with Zlatan Ibrahimovic on a daily basis at AC Milan.

The England international defender made a brave career call when leaving Chelsea for San Siro in 2021, in an initial loan agreement, but has seen that decision justified by 72 appearances in Italy and a Serie A title triumph. The 24-year-old believes he is now a better player, with opportunities to lock horns with enigmatic Swedish striker Ibrahimovic in training allowing him to pick up important lessons when it comes to positional play and work ethic.

Tomori has said of the progress he has made in Milan: “Training against Zlatan, you can't really be too timid because if you are, he'll score 10 goals against you. So you have to be a bit tougher, you have to be nasty in a sense. Obviously, having a player like him, who's played against the world's best, is going to make me a better defender.

“He's such a well-rounded figure and having him in a dressing room, especially last season when he was injured for a lot of it, we could still see the impact he had. Just being there with the team, his voice, the way he sees the game, having him around the squad definitely helped us, for sure.”

Chelsea were unable to find a regular role for academy graduate Tomori in their long-term plans, with the talented centre-half adding on his departure from west London: “It was a weird one. 2020 was a difficult year for everyone with Covid, but talking personally for me I would have liked to be on the pitch more. That didn’t happen for whatever reason, and I was itching to play. Milan gave me the opportunity and now I’m here.”

A man still hoping to force his way into Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar is readying himself for a Champions League reunion with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.

Speaking on his return to Stamford Bridge, Tomori said:

“Chelsea are a great team, with good players," he told Sportmediaset.

“We are focused on our game and we know we will be up to the task if we play as we know.

“They have one point but are still a strong team.

“It's going to be a tough match because they have valuable players, but we also do and of course, I hope we can win.

“I am excited and happy to return to Stamford Bridge, I want to help the team earn three points."

Asked if he'll celebrate if he scores on the night, Tomori replied: “We'll see..."

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