AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani was delighted with Stephen El Shaarawy's performance in their Coppa Italia defeat to Juventus.

Galliani insists Milan are "not inferior" to Juve and blamed the first-leg defeat on injuries.

He also said: "El Shaarawy is a very good player, there are few like him for his age. It was an investment made in him and he is doing well.

"El Shaarawy is certainly an important player for this team and we also hope to recover even Pato in a very short time.

"Rino Gattuso looks better, but for him we need a little time, like Mathieu Flamini. The players will recover, now we must have patience and be calm. Let's not become discouraged."