GdS: Still watching from the sidelines – Allegri’s snub raises questions about Gimenez

Massimiliano Allegri might just have given another sign to Santiago Gimenez by not using him in the loss to Udinese.

As La Gazzetta dello Sport report, for over a month now, when asked about Gimenez, Allegri has explained that he considers the Mexican an important asset for the end of the season. The classic extra weapon returning to the team’s disposal after being absent for a long time.

Read SempreMilan ad-free and get access to exclusive news. Click here for a free trial!

Everything seemed set for this to happen: a sluggish attack, team-mates plagued by various problems, tactical misunderstandings and the search for a true striker. Santiago seemed like the right man to revitalise the attack, after a four-and-a-half-month enforced absence post-surgery.

Stuck in the pit lane

The Mexican was raring to go, wanting to return in the derby, and then managed to return to the pitch two weeks later against Torino. He got a handful of important and even quite comforting minutes. It felt like fresh air, in a team reduced to relying on Strahinja Pavlovic’s goals.

The problem is that it’s not working. The tactical shift from two forwards to a three-man attack failed, Leao’s recovery failed, and the attempt to get Santi instantly firing is failing too. His successful introduction against Torino was not followed up.

The former Feyenoord man got half an hour at the Maradona in place of Niclas Füllkrug, with a paltry seven touches, and he spent the entire match against Udinese watching from the bench. It was precisely this context that stands out, raising many questions about the future.

In a game that Milan were chasing, why was Santi completely overlooked? Why did Allegri only send Füllkrug to warm up in the first half? Why did everyone else come on in the second half except him?

One answer might lie in the playing time of Füllkrug and Christopher Nkunku, which is superior to Gimenez’s. Yet, in Naples, the German only played one half and the Frenchman barely over a quarter of an hour, a segment that even Santi could have faced.

It’s therefore easier to imagine a purely technical choice, without considering that Allegri preferred a loan player (Füllkrug) who will be returning at the end of the season, while Gimenez cost €28m plus bonuses and has so far scored seven goals in 32 appearances.

If the Mexican wasn’t even considered for the loss against Udinese, a game in which the Diavolo were two goals down at the break, then when? Psychology and fitness are two huge factors, but how can he improve either without playing?

This inevitably raises questions about the direction next season could take. When the club are certain to bring in another striker, presumably a starting-level No.9, the feeling is that World Cup on home soil could become a showcase for a potential sale.