It is not the way that anyone wanted the discussion to resume, but Theo Hernandez’s red card against Fiorentina has once gain raised questions about who the deputy left-back is in the AC Milan squad.
As Calciomercato.com write, Theo has been given a two-game suspension and now head coach Paulo Fonseca has to decide who will replace him in the games against Udinese and Bologna after the international break.
The curious thing is that Zlatan Ibrahimovic seemed to want to decide for him in the summer, announcing at a press conference: “Theo’s deputy will be Jimenez.” The Spaniard has not played a senior minute this season, which makes it appear as though Fonseca does not share the same opinion as the Swede.
Up until now, Milan Futuro has been Jimenez’s home, despite Ibrahimovic’s endorsement given that he considers him as the perfect alternative to Theo. In the meantime, however, Fonseca has tried Terracciano in that role and he is in pole position for the Udinese game at San Siro.
The former Verona man played as a left-back both in the preseason tour of the USA and in the away draw against Lazio. Jimenez will be promoted to the first team, but for the coach he is further down the pecking order. Another option could be Davide Bartesaghi, though he was sent off against Lecce having been given a few minutes off the bench.
The management of Jimenez is a factor that highlights the difference in views between Ibrahimovic and Fonseca. The director goes one way, the coach the other, or at least that’s how it seems, based on other indications too.
A signal arrived in mid-August, when on the eve of the Torino game Fonseca announced that the incoming mercato was closed for Milan, before Ibra responded at Youssouf Fofana’s presentation: “The coach is the coach, the club does the rest. The market closes when I say so.”
A few days later Tammy Abraham would arrive in a loan exchange involving Alexis Saelemaekers, who the coach publicly praised and stated that he wanted to keep. Jimenez wants to demonstrate his value, Zlatan pushes to have him play and Fonseca tries Terracciano. As of today, he is Theo’s deputy.