An important update has emerged regarding AC Milan’s pre-season schedule ahead of the 2025-26 campaign. Mike Maignan and Adrien Rabiot, who were expected to return to Milanello on 12 August, have been granted four extra days of holiday by the club and will not resume training until 16 August.
The Reason Behind the Delay
According to sources close to the club, the decision was reached by mutual agreement between the two players and the management. The squad is set to depart on 14 August for Poland, where the traditional Ferragosto pre-season friendly will be played on the 15th. Returning on the 12th would have left them with just two days of group training before the trip — a window deemed too short to properly integrate into the preparation. For this reason, both parties agreed to push the return date to the 16th, by which time the team will have already come back from the Polish fixture.
A Decision That Raises Eyebrows
The choice has not gone down without criticism. With the Serie A season kicking off on 23 August, Maignan and Rabiot will have fewer than a week of training alongside their teammates before the official start — a very tight window, particularly in a season that promises to be demanding and that sees Milan embark on a new era under head coach Rúben Amorim.
The comparison with other European stars does not help matters either. Lautaro Martínez, for instance — who played in the World Cup final for Argentina against Spain — was already back in Milan by 9 August. A sign of commitment to the cause that, by contrast, throws the decisions of the two Milan players into sharper relief.
The symbolic weight of this situation should not be underestimated. Maignan is Milan’s captain, and as such one would rightly expect him to set an example for the rest of the squad, especially at the start of a new chapter with a new manager. Returning after teammates, at such a delicate moment in building the team’s tactical identity under Amorim, is far from the ideal signal to send to the dressing room.
The Calendar Left No Room for Doubt
It is also worth pointing out that the friendly on 14 August in Manchester was scheduled well in advance and was not a last-minute addition: the pre-season calendar had been known for weeks, which should have allowed for different planning around the two players’ returns. The hope is that, once back, both Maignan and Rabiot will demonstrate their commitment to the Milan cause on the pitch, putting themselves fully at Amorim’s disposal from day one.
