Clarence Seedorf has urged AC Milan fans to be patient with Michael Essien as he says the Ghanaian midfielder needs time to adapt to his new surroundings.

The 30-year-old joined Milan from Chelsea in the January transfer window, but was kept on the bench for the full 90 minutes in his new side's 1-1 draw against Torino last week.

Nevertheless, the Rossoneri coach is confident that Essien will prove to be a shrewd signing and has hinted he could make his debut in Saturday's away game against Napoli.

"Essien needs time to settle in at his new club, but he remains a champion," the Dutchman said at a press conference.

"He could feature against Napoli this weekend."

Seedorf also stressed that he is determined to get the best out of Adel Taarabt, another new arrival at San Siro.

"I don't care about Taarabt's past. He is an incredibly talented player and we will make sure we do everything needed to get the best out of him," he continued.

"He is feeling very well and there's a chance that he will start against Napoli."

The Milan coach also briefly had his say on Mario Balotelli and Giampaolo Pazzini and insisted that both strikers can flourish alongside each other.

"Will Balotelli and Pazzini start alongside each other against Napoli? Who knows, anything is possible," he said.

"They are definitely capable of playing together."