Tension in Milan as Maignan and Rabiot Delay Return

Tension in Milan as Maignan and Rabiot Delay Return Ahead of New Season

With less than two weeks to go before the new Serie A season kicks off, Milan’s preseason is already carrying the weight of a soap opera. A new coach, an unsettled squad, and now two of the dressing room’s biggest figures choosing to stretch their holidays to the limit.

Ruben Amorim has barely had time to put his ideas on the training pitch. He walks into his first campaign at San Siro knowing Torino await on opening day, yet two of his most important players – captain Mike Maignan and senior midfielder Adrien Rabiot – will not report back until August 16, exactly seven days before that game.

They were originally scheduled to return on August 14 after their runs deep into the 2026 World Cup with France. Two days more does not sound seismic on paper. Inside Milan circles, it feels very different.

This is a club that still needs to sell before it can truly buy, a squad that remains incomplete, and a fanbase already on edge over the future of Rafael Leao. Amorim needs clarity, rhythm, and leaders on the grass. Instead, he is left planning his final stretch of preparation without his goalkeeper-captain and one of his most experienced midfielders.

The contrast with the other side of the city has not gone unnoticed. Inter’s Lautaro Martinez and John Stones, who also went the distance at the World Cup, are already back in full training with Cristian Chivu. That comparison has irritated a section of the Rossoneri support, who see their rivals’ stars embracing the grind while their own are still on the beach.

Rabiot’s case is the simpler of the two. During the World Cup he was clear: he would return to Milan, sit down with Amorim, and “go again” in 2026-27. His commitment to the club’s immediate future has been publicly stated. The timing of his return might frustrate some, but his direction of travel is not in doubt.

Maignan is a different story.

The goalkeeper has sent signals that are impossible to ignore. Recently, he wiped his social media profiles of Milan-related images and references, a modern gesture that in football rarely means nothing. For a player wearing the armband, it lands with even greater force.

Then came another moment that raised eyebrows. When the club gathered to mourn Franco Baresi, one of the greatest defenders in Milan’s history and an icon of the shirt Maignan now represents, the current captain was not there. His absence did not go unnoticed inside or outside the club.

Taken alone, an extended holiday can be explained by a long, draining World Cup. Taken together with the social media scrub and the missed funeral, the picture looks far more uneasy. It feeds the sense that Maignan is not fully at ease with life at San Siro.

All of this unfolds against a delicate backdrop. Milan must move players on to give Amorim the reinforcements he needs. The Leao question still hangs over the window. Every day without key figures on the training pitch slows the process of building the patterns, pressing triggers, and relationships that define an Amorim side.

Supporters are not blind to the calendar. A new coach, a new cycle, and a season that could redefine the club’s direction are about to begin. Their captain and senior midfielder walking back through the door with just a week to spare is not the foundation they imagined.

The clock is ticking in Milan. When Maignan and Rabiot finally report to Milanello on August 16, the welcome will be warm enough. The real issue is what comes next: will they be the pillars of Amorim’s project, or the symbols of a summer that never truly settled?