The infirmary is finally emptying at the best of times for AC Milan. With the Madonnina derby fast approaching, the Rossoneri are recovering a key piece of their midfield. Absent from the field in recent weeks to treat a temperamental calf, Adrien Rabiot has been champing at the bit while watching his teammates stupidly lose points against Pisa or Parma. But this period of scarcity seems to be over. The French midfielder assures us: the work in the gym is over, it’s time for the grass.
Rabiot, a carefully calculated return
The former Marseille player didn’t want to take any risks, even if it meant frustrating impatient supporters. He explains that he preferred caution rather than risking a relapse which would have sidelined him for another month. Intelligent management, even if he admits his pain at not having been able to help the collective in difficult times when concentration was lacking.
“If I am here, we are stronger”,
he says without false modesty. An assurance that is good to hear before a match where the tension promises to be maximum.
This return to the forefront coincides above all with his reunion with Massimiliano Allegri. The bond between the two men goes beyond the simple coach-player relationship. Rabiot is full of praise for the Italian technician, praising his ability to find the right words and this
” anger “ positive which pushes him to surpass himself. The Frenchman also reveals the evocative nickname given to him by his coach: a “crazy horse”. An image that sums up well what the Mister expects of him on the meadow: a total riot of energy and freedom of movement to break the lines.
No gifts for friends
The challenge is twofold for the French community. There is the need to win this derby which he already describes as electric, he who dreams of a decisive goal in stoppage time, but also a personal duel. Opposite, it is the Inter of his friend Marcus Thuram who stands. If the two Blues send each other messages, the tone has changed as kick-off approaches. Rabiot even declined his teammate’s invitations to the selection during the break to focus exclusively on his recovery. The friendship will remain in the locker room for ninety minutes.
It remains to be seen whether this return will be enough to stabilize a Milan that has sometimes been feverish defensively this season. Mike Maignan warned his compatriot of the capital importance of this meeting for fans and the history of the club. Rabiot says he is ready, physically and mentally. It’s up to him to prove now that he is indeed this X factor capable of shifting Milanese supremacy to the Rossonero side.
