AC Milan’s season has been dealt an early defensive setback after Matteo Gabbia suffered a left-thigh injury during the match in Reggio Emilia, ending his first start of the campaign after only 15 minutes.
Key takeaways
- Tests confirmed damage to the flexor muscle in Gabbia’s left thigh, with partial tendon involvement.
- The defender will undergo a specialist consultation before Milan establish a treatment plan.
- No firm timetable has yet been set for the 26-year-old’s return.
- Gabbia was making his first starting appearance of the season when the injury occurred.
- He left the pitch on a stretcher and departed the stadium on crutches.
A painful first start
Gabbia’s opportunity to begin from the opening whistle in Reggio Emilia lasted barely a quarter of an hour. While attempting to get in front of an opponent near the halfway line, the Milan defender felt a sharp pain at the back of his left thigh and went down immediately.
The seriousness was apparent from the first moments. Unable to walk off, the Rossoneri’s number 46 was carried away on a stretcher, visibly distressed as he covered his face with his hands. He later left the stadium using crutches, with the club awaiting the results of the medical examinations.
Milan await the next medical decision
The scans have now clarified the nature of the problem: a lesion to the flexor muscle of the left thigh, also affecting part of the tendon. It is a diagnosis that confirms the concerns raised on the night of the match.
The next step is a specialist assessment, which will determine the most suitable therapy and allow Milan to understand the likely length of Gabbia’s absence. Until that consultation takes place, the club cannot put a definitive recovery date on the defender’s return.
For Milan, the issue is not simply the loss of a player in one afternoon. Gabbia had been handed a chance to enter the season from the start, and the injury now interrupts that route before it had properly begun. The coaching staff must wait for the medical plan before reshaping their defensive options for the coming weeks.
