Matteo Gabbia’s season has begun at a distance from the centre of Milan’s new cycle. An ankle inflammation that started in the middle of summer has now been medically resolved, but it prevented the defender from preparing at full pace for several weeks and left a physical deficit at precisely the moment a changed coaching staff required players to establish themselves again.
The coach and the club
For a player who is Milan’s vice-captain and was among the side’s established pillars until last season, Gabbia’s early figures are striking. He has played only 17 minutes across two substitute appearances: 14 minutes against Torino and three against Venezia.
He then missed the Juventus match because the ankle pain returned, before remaining on the bench for three consecutive fixtures across Serie A and the Europa League. Central defenders are generally rotated less than players in other positions, particularly after a coaching change, when understanding and repetition matter heavily in the defensive unit. Gabbia has lost ground during that period.
The situation is unfamiliar for the Italian since his return from Villarreal, where Milan brought him back six months earlier than planned. Last term he was seventh in the squad for minutes played, making 31 appearances and starting 29 of them. In the preceding campaign, he featured 35 times.
At present, De Winter has become the preferred option at the heart of the defence. Under Massimiliano Allegri, the Belgian had principally been considered for the right side of central defence; Amorim has instead assessed him as the central reference point.
De Winter is regarded as quicker across short movements, while Gabbia is considered the cleaner footballer in possession but somewhat less agile. The heavy run of matches expected in the second half of October should create an opening for the 25-year-old, who remains more than a dependable defender in a Milan squad reshaped rapidly around him.
