Just as Milan looked to regain momentum in their Serie A run-in, head coach Sergio Conceicao has been forced to deal with another blow to his squad’s depth and rhythm. The Rossoneri, already dealing with Kyle Walker’s recent elbow fracture, now face another critical absence ahead of their trip to face Udinese on Friday evening.
The timing couldn’t be worse. As the race for a top-four finish intensifies and the second leg of the Coppa Italia semi-finals against Inter looms, Milan’s injury list is growing in both quality and quantity — prompting serious questions about how Conceicao will navigate the season’s climax.
The first blow came earlier in the week. Walker, signed on loan from Manchester City in January, suffered a fractured elbow during training, forcing him to undergo urgent surgery. According to the club’s official statement, the England international had “osteosynthetic repair of the olecranon in his right elbow”, a procedure that rules him out for at least three to four weeks.
La Repubblica estimates that the veteran defender could be sidelined until “late April or early May,” casting doubt on his availability for the business end of the campaign — and potentially ending his San Siro stint altogether.
His absence, coupled with Emerson Royal’s ongoing muscle injury, leaves Alex Jimenez, Alessandro Florenzi, and Filippo Terracciano as the only right-back options. But this reshuffling at the back isn’t the only tactical headache Conceicao must solve before Friday’s clash.
Conceicao reveals whether Gimenez will face Udinese
While fans were still reeling from Walker’s injury, more bad news dropped during Sergio Conceicao’s pre-match press conference on Thursday. Speaking to the media, the Portuguese coach confirmed that Santiago Gimenez would not be available for selection after picking up a knock in the previous league outing against Fiorentina.
“I can say this: Santi won’t be there tomorrow evening,” Conceicao stated.“He is not recovered. Before the Fiorentina match, we worked on building from the back, and we did it this week as well.”
The Mexican ace was brought on in the second half against the Viola in an attempt to turn around a two-goal deficit. However, his contribution lasted only 25 minutes. Following a collision with goalkeeper David De Gea, he suffered breathing difficulties after hitting the ground hard, which forced him off. Initial scans ruled out fractures or internal injuries, but the medical staff has opted to take a cautious approach, ruling him out of the trip to Udine.
The timing of the 23-year-old striker’s injury is especially frustrating given the striker’s prolonged scoring drought. Since joining from Feyenoord in January, he’s managed to start six of his nine Serie A games but hasn’t scored since early February — an eight-match barren run following an otherwise bright debut month.
