Amorim Addresses Criticism Over Maignan and Rabiot's Absence
Rúben Amorim did not dodge the issue. He went straight at it.
Questions had been swirling after Mike Maignan and Adrien Rabiot were nowhere to be seen in Milan’s eye-catching 4-2 win over Manchester United in Poland. With the Serie A opener against Torino looming, their absence in the final pre-season test sparked talk of delays, disagreements, even doubts over their readiness.
Amorim shut that down.
Speaking after dismantling his former club, the Milan coach was blunt about who made the call and why. The extra days off for the two French internationals were his decision, not theirs.
“Rabiot and Maignan had more days off because they played more. That was important to me,” he said. “Everyone complains about the number of games and the players being unable to cope with the strain, and I gave the players those extra days because I already knew they wouldn’t be able to play today’s match. So I gave them three more days. Nothing will change. And I need to say that it was my decision, not the players.”
No room for misinterpretation there.
Extra rest now, protection for later
The plan is clear: sacrifice a few August minutes to protect legs for February and March.
Amorim is convinced those three additional days can pay off when the calendar tightens and the season bites. He sees it as part of a bigger strategy, not a luxury.
He was also keen to underline that Maignan and Rabiot did not use the break as an excuse to switch off. They followed an individual schedule, monitored and verified by the club.
“They want to train. Tomorrow they’ll be at Milanello preparing for the first match,” Amorim stressed. “They had a full schedule and followed the schedule, because we have proof that they did. So I want to make this really clear, because I think it’s important. We’ll evaluate Rabiot. Rabiot is a really important player for us. But, as we showed today, we have to be confident. We need to rest the players who need rest because it will be a very demanding season.”
Back at Milanello, alone while others rest
The timeline is already in motion.
Both Maignan and Rabiot reported back to Milanello on Sunday morning. While most of the squad enjoyed a recovery day after the trip back from Poland, the two late returnees were put straight into the first phase of their reintegration.
No ball work. No tactical drills. Just the basics first: general fitness tests, physiological checks, and an assessment of how much work they had actually done during their time off.
From there, the staff will tailor a specific program to sharpen their match fitness. The goal is simple: close the gap to the rest of the group without overloading them.
According to reports from Milanello, the pair will be given Monday off before stepping into full-contact training with the squad on Tuesday. That session carries extra weight. It will be the first time all summer that Amorim has his entire first-team group together on the grass.
For a coach obsessed with structure and collective mechanisms, that feels like a key moment in his pre-season.
Maignan to start, Rabiot to be assessed
If there was any doubt about Maignan’s status for Torino, Amorim removed that too.
The goalkeeper, he pointed out, is a special case. Maignan has been working throughout, his position demands different physical loads, and his track record at Milan is one of relentless availability.
“It’s a different position. He’s been training all the time,” Amorim explained. “If you look at the number of games he’s played in recent seasons with Milan, he plays every game. He’ll be ready for the first match because it’s a different position.”
Barring any late surprises, Maignan will walk straight back into the starting XI.
Rabiot’s situation is slightly different. The midfielder is expected to be evaluated closely this week before any decision is made on his role against Torino. Amorim made no promises, only underlined his importance and the need to balance that with the demands of a long campaign.
What the 4-2 win over United did give him, though, is breathing space. Milan showed they can perform and score without two of their biggest names. That performance allows Amorim to stick to his plan, not rush, and still ride into the league opener with momentum.
The message is unmistakable: the coach, not the calendar or the noise around the club, will dictate the pace of his stars’ return. The season will judge whether this August gamble pays off when the pressure peaks in spring.
