AC Milan quartet Mike Maignan, Strahinja Pavlovic, Theo Hernandez and Tijjani Reijnders have reportedly all returned to Milanello this weekend to start pre-season training.
Having all been involved at EURO 2024, they were given an extended break this summer in order to rest and recover, while new signing Alvaro Morata will soon follow having gone all the way and won the tournament with Spain.
READ MORE: Injury update on Milan stalwart after undergoing successful surgery
As per Antonio Vitiello, those four have now returned to Milanello and completed their first day of pre-season training as they look to make up ground and ensure that they’re ready for the start of the Serie A campaign on August 17.
The rest of the squad are of course still in the USA for our summer tour, but after facing Barcelona in the early hours of Tuesday morning, they will return home and link up with those noted above as Paulo Fonseca will edge closer to having his full squad at his disposal.
Although it’s not ideal that these key individuals haven’t had longer with the new Milan boss this summer as he implements his ideas, style of play and identity on the squad, we still have a fortnight to go before we get the season underway, while there is another friendly next week against Monza for them to get valuable minutes.
In turn, Fonseca will no doubt be itching to get the whole group together, coupled with potentially more new signings in the coming weeks, as he looks to continue to build on the positive work that we’ve seen thus far during pre-season.
It’s always a difficult process for a new coach to come in and get his ideas across, and influential figures and stalwarts in the side are always useful to have around to help with that adaptation period, and so it will be a crucial boost next week to welcome back Maignan, Hernandez and Reijnders, while kick-starting the process of integrating Pavlovic and Morata.
Naturally though, while they’ll be working on their physical condition in the coming days, there will undoubtedly be clear instructions from Fonseca to his staff who have stayed behind at the training ground, to ensure that these four players are in sync with the work being done Stateside and are fully aware of what to expect from their new coach when they link up.