San Siro, 18 September 2022, Milan-Naples: Mike Maignan plays his last match wearing the Rossoneri shirt, before moving to France for his Nations League commitments, in whose first match against Austria he is forced to leave the interval due to a calf problem. Milanello, 22 February 2023: Mike Maignan has returned to training with the squad for the first time and aims to return to the field against Atalanta.
Calvary
Mike Maignan is, in one word, recovered. A 5-month ordeal: a few days after that Milan-Naples, the Rossoneri goalkeeper suffered an injury to the medial twin muscle of his left calf with France, then aiming to return in the match against Monza a month later (22 October 2002) , which never happened due to a relapse in the same calf. The Frenchman’s goal was to return in 2023, taking advantage of the break to recover calmly and with zero risk; after the first two workouts partly carried out with the group in the Dubai winter retreat, however, Maignan stopped again due to the incomplete healing of the calf muscle injury and was forced to pit until this week…
…per
…to return against Atalanta? Possible. Clearly Milan don’t want to take any risks: the way is to get them to regain confidence with the official matches and the goal posts after a 5-month break for 8 March, the date of the return to London against Tottenham in the Champions League; there are two games in between: Atalanta on Sunday and Fiorentina on 4 March. Stefano Pioli, in the next tactical training sessions, will decide whether to send him on the field already against Gasperini’s team. Otherwise, no psychodrama: Maignan is recovered and ready to return.
