After a week marked by controversy, Massimiliano Allegri chose to calm things down. On the eve of the clash between AC Milan and Fiorentina, the Rossonero coach appeared before the press in a tense climate, still marked by the injury to Adrien Rabiot which occurred during the last meeting of the France team. The affair quickly gained momentum, as anger had been brewing in Milanello since the return of the French midfielder, victim of an injury to his left calf. The Milanese leaders did not understand why the player had traveled to Iceland when he was already affected, and the Italian media had relayed their irritation with Didier Deschamps' staff. The former Juventus coach, aware of the electric climate around the subject, spoke to ease tensions and put the debate on a more constructive ground: “I already answered. You have to be very calm, you can't go back. Rabiot will not play tomorrow if we manage him. He must recover as best he can, he must take his time, because the soleus, like Leao's, is a damaged muscle: it does not seem to send you signals, and when it does, you have to stop again. And it's the same for the other players“. Rabiot's injury has in fact reignited wider unease between several European clubs and the France team.
After PSG and Real Madrid, who had recently expressed their dissatisfaction with the physical management of their players in the selection, it is AC Milan which has joined the list of clubs frustrated by the problems that occurred at Clairefontaine: “We did our first training together yesterday. The guys are good. The matches after the break are always a little uncertain and we have to stay focused. Tomorrow marks the start of a new cycle of matches in an important month. Tomorrow, we will have to perform well and show concentration. We are facing a Fiorentina team who have had excellent performances regardless of their ranking, and who have great players. We must progress and consolidate our position in the rankings”. In Italy, the press widely commented on the Rabiot case, believing that the French staff had underestimated the seriousness of the blow received against Azerbaijan. There Gazzetta dello Sport like the Corriere dello Sport denounced a lack of caution and confused communication around the Frenchman's injury. The midfielder, who arrived this summer in Milan, had nevertheless impressed with his consistency and maturity in the midfield before this setback. His injury therefore represents a setback both for the club and for its individual rise to power.
No hard feelings against the FFF
On the Milan side, the situation also highlighted the fragility of relations between clubs and national teams. AC Milan, already affected by the absences of several executives who returned reduced from the international break, is worried about the consequences of an overloaded schedule and sometimes approximate medical coordination: “This week, Rafa (Leao) had an excellent week of intense training. He is now ready to become a key player again. We need him and everyone else. Leao has important qualities and is in good physical condition. Rabiot and Pulisic are out, they will probably not be available before the next break. Estupinian will not be there, Nkunku must be evaluated and we will see if he can keep his crampons. Jashari is out too. The others are all available, including Saelemaekers. We have enough players to face Fiorentina and there is no problem. Injuries are part of the season. There comes a time when they all arrive at the same time and you have to know how to deal with them. It’s additional motivation for those who are available.”explained Allegri. The Rabiot case crystallized these tensions, to the point of causing the beginnings of incomprehension between French and Italian medical staff. Faced with this accumulation of injuries in the selection, Allegri wanted to be pragmatic. The Milanese club has neither interest in fueling controversy nor in deteriorating its relations with the French Federation. The objective is now to preserve the health of its players while avoiding inflaming an already recurring debate in European football.
For Adrien Rabiot, the priority now remains recovery and a gradual return to competition. The first examinations carried out in Milanello revealed a muscle injury which will require around ten days before a new assessment, suggesting an absence of around a month. A frustrating scenario for the French international, very prominent since his arrival in Lombardy: “Anger? When there are problems, you have to find a solution. The consolidation of breaks made it possible to take a step forward. A longer break provides better recovery opportunities. You also have to be fatalistic. Sometimes players leave feeling good and come back with more confidence. This is generally the riskiest time, as November and March are statistically when injuries are most common. There is a solution to everything. Football was created and globalized, it has evolved so there is no going back. I'm a club coach and I think one way, the coach another. This kind of thing happens, you have to find a good solution. Now they can rest, and we will find them cooler in November”. AC Milan, on the other hand, does not want to take any risks and prefers to bet on a complete return rather than a rushed one. This forced rest comes at a key moment of the season, with a busy schedule in Serie A. Allegri is counting on an expanded squad to compensate for this absence, while remaining confident in the ability of his French midfielder to quickly return to his best level once the break is over.
