Alexis Saelemaekers sustains ankle injury in Milan training

Ankle Injury Sustained in Training at Milanello

Alexis Saelemaekers picked up the physical issue on Tuesday during a workout at the Milan training ground, according to reports from Italian media outlets including Sky Sport. Initial medical checks indicate that the damage is relatively minor, with early indications showing that neither the bone nor the ligaments suffered severe impact. Club medical staff will continue to monitor his recovery on a day-to-day basis, though the setback rules him out of immediate action during the ongoing international break.

National Team Exclusion Under Mark van Bommel

The fitness concern follows a roster omission by new Belgium manager Mark van Bommel. After taking charge of the Red Devils following the tenure of Rudi Garcia, the Dutch coach reshaped his squad for the latest fixtures against Italy and France. Van Bommel left out several established names, notably bypassing both Thomas Meunier and Saelemaekers. While Saelemaekers had previously served as a regular contributor off the bench, the coaching staff opted to utilize younger attacking options such as Mika Godts and Malick Fofana.

Club Standing and Tactical Fit at AC Milan

At club level, the 27-year-old has similarly faced a fight to secure regular minutes under head coach Ruben Amorim. Rather than deploying him in a wingback role, Amorim views Saelemaekers primarily as an option for the pocket spaces behind the forward line. That tactical preference has translated into limited playing time, yielding only two starting appearances across five league matches prior to his training ground knock.