Just as Milan appeared to be stepping out of their injury crisis, fresh news arrived to pull them back into the shadows. With momentum building and hopes of a strong finish to the season still alive in both Serie A and the Coppa Italia, the Rossoneri were hit by another blow.
Not Christian Pulisic. Not Rafael Leao. But one of their most experienced winter additions—a player brought in to stabilize the backline and bring years of elite-level know-how—has gone down. A fractured elbow, surgery, and a looming period on the sidelines now threaten to derail both his personal momentum and the club’s defensive structure.
It was late Tuesday evening when the Serie A giant made it official. England international Kyle Walker, on loan from Manchester City, had suffered a fracture in his right elbow during training. The club didn’t hesitate. Immediate surgery was deemed necessary to aid both the healing process and reduce recovery time.
In a statement published on the club’s website, the Rossoneri confirmed: “AC Milan can confirm that Kyle Walker sustained a fracture in his right elbow today. To ensure better healing and optimise recovery time, the player underwent surgery in Milan to repair the olecranon through osteosynthesis. The operation went perfectly to plan. Kyle will begin rehabilitation immediately.”
The 34-year-old’s injury could not have come at a worse time. Walker has quickly become a vital component of Milan’s defensive rotation since his arrival in January, making 12 appearances across all competitions. While not always a starter, his leadership and tactical intelligence had helped shore up a backline riddled with inconsistency throughout the campaign.
Timeline and recovery: How long will he be out?
While the Rossoneri have not provided an exact return date, MilanNews.it and Relevo suggest that Walker could miss between 4 to 6 weeks, depending on the speed of his recovery and the absence of complications. He will definitely miss upcoming league fixtures against Udinese and Atalanta, as well as the Coppa Italia semi-final second leg against Inter on April 23—a tie that remains finely poised at 1-1 after the first leg.
With just seven matches left in the league, and a semi-final derby looming, his absence slices into Milan’s already thin depth at right-back.
Who steps in?
The timing of the injury also complicates matters for head coach Sergio Conceicao, who already has Emerson Royal sidelined. That leaves him with limited options. Alessandro Florenzi, now fully recovered from the knee injury that kept him out during the summer, is expected to step back into the starting lineup.
However, the Portuguese bos may also turn to the youth setup for reinforcements. Alex Jimenez, the promising full-back from Milan Futuro, could be called upon, though removing him from youth duties would thin their developmental depth. Filippo Terracciano is also a potential candidate, although sources suggest he remains on the periphery of Conceicao’s tactical plans.
