Gimenez wants to keep Milan: the plan

Santi Gimenez wants to take Milan back. And also as quickly as possible. He has circled a date on his home calendar: March 8, the day of the derby against Inter, a match that could significantly influence Milan’s season, depending on the result. The Mexican is impatient, despite having been out of action for four months due to the ankle injury suffered on 28 October in the league against Atalanta. On December 18th he flew to Amsterdam for surgery and now the worst seems to be behind him. Seeing him among the squad called up for the derby is very difficult, but in the meantime he hopes for it. And a lot.

derby in the sights

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Gimenez will undergo a check-up on his ankle in these hours: it will be a watershed moment to understand if he will be able to return to training with the group. Even if he gets the green light, however, he will need time to regain his match condition and rhythm. We need the so-called re-athleticization. For this reason, against Inter, in the best case scenario, he could at most sit on the benchjust to savor the locker room atmosphere again. Santi, however, wants to be there at all costs. And not just to make up the numbers. The Mexican is finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and the adrenaline grows as the days pass. In the last few hours he has even confided to those close to him his desire and determination to return as a protagonist at San Siro, perhaps with a goal – possibly his first in Serie A this year – in the most important match of the season. A dream, but dreaming is legitimate and costs nothing. Santi is ambitious, he says he still believes in the Scudetto despite the ten point deficit and is convinced that by beating Inter the championship can reopen. Maybe with his decisive goal as a substitute. It’s not a mirage: it’s what he really thinks.

recovery

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In these four months of stoppage, Gimenez has never stopped. The criticism he received at the beginning of the season for some missed goals did not affect him, on the contrary they motivated him further. He continued to work every day between the gym and physiotherapy to shorten his recovery time. Moncada, Ibrahimovic and Furlani respect him: they were the ones who strongly wanted him in January a year ago, shelling out 32 million plus bonuses. An investment that has not yet fully paid off – 7 goals in 30 games at Milan -, something Gimenez is aware of. Some physical problems, even before the ankle injury, had limited him even in the summer, without him looking for an alibi. People close to him confirm that Allegri has always supported him, especially in times of difficulty. And even Santi himself dotes on Max and his way of thinking.

milan in my heart

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In short, Gimenez has always wanted Milan and he wants it even more now, in the most difficult moment. Because Santi also tells and reiterates this. In his cell phone he keeps several photos of when he was a child wearing the red and black shirt. A four month absence won’t change his feelings. Not even the arrival of another striker (Füllkrug) in January – which could have been two with Mateta – worries him. The competition doesn’t scare him and, just like in August, his intention is to hold onto the Devil for next season. Now Santi is calm, smiling and aiming hard for the derby, in which he hopes to at least earn a call-up. There are just over two months left until the end of the season and in football, as we know, it doesn’t take much to turn everything around. We will know more from March 8th.