Gabbia thanks team-mate for reassurance and reveals how rushed preparation was for him and Kalulu

By Oliver Fisher -

Matteo Gabbia has revealed just how frantic the preparations were for him and centre-back pairing Pierre Kalulu ahead of AC Milan’s 3-1 win against Roma this evening.

Milan’s preparation for the game was incredibly disrupted, meaning Pioli was forced to go with a makeshift XI. The defensive trio of Davide Calabria, Fikayo Tomori and Alessio Romagnoli missed out due to Covid-19.

Not only that, but Ismael Bennacer and Franck Kessie are on international duty at AFCON and Simon Kjaer is out for the rest of the season, so Gabbia and Kalulu started at centre-back against the dangerous Abraham and Zaniolo. Ante Rebic and Rafael Leao came back into the squad but were not deemed fit enough to start.

Gabbia was interviewed by the club’s official media channel Milan TV after the game and reflected on the performance, the three points and succeeding in the face of difficulty, with his comments relayed by MilanNews.

On the performance: “It was a particular emotion. We only knew yesterday that Kalulu and I had to play. The words of others, like Giroud, helped us. It was a good victory.”

On the match: “The coach tells us what to do and we always try to do our best.”

On who is teaching him the most: “I have many companions who love me and who help me. If I have to name names, taking into account my role, I say Kjaer and Romagnoli. I am learning a lot from them and I thank them for that.”


READ MORE: Giroud happy ‘to have scored and played without pain’ in Roma win as he endorses Ibra pairing

Tags AC Milan Matteo Gabbia Milan Roma

5 Comments

  1. Both did well overall, Kalulu overcommitted a few times and Gabbia got beat on the turn a few times but they will learn and overall they did kot look like fish out of water in a big game. Big futures for Gabbia and Kalulu!

  2. Gabia’s lack of pace was exposed a bit today. I think with more playing time his positioning and anticipation will improve compensating for it. With Kalulu able to adequately cover CB I’d like to see him loaned to a club in a top league if another CB joins during the window.

  3. Kalulu and Tomori will be perfect for CB while Kjaer recovers or Botman settles in. Gabbia may be good enough as a backup if Romaniogli leaves.
    Its high time we started trying Messias as attacking Midfielder instead of Diaz. Junior Messias is very good on rebounds and one time shot taking. He isn’t fast or strong enough to play in the wings all the time. With his dribbling, passing, shot accuracy and quick decision making, he should be in the middle, directly behind the strikers.
    Salaemakers can return to his right wing. He’ll get better with more experience.
    And we should get our striker soon.

    1. agree , I would sooner pay Romi, he is the one constant we seem to have at CB. team player, sat on bench and when called upon performed,no grudge. Getting new players often disrupts the chemistry of the team, team is starting to gel with players coming back. Pioli is figuring it out. Messias is better as you say than Diaz, I like Diaz but he is to easily “shouldered” off the ball, Messias plays Brazialian style, “push me” “I push you back twice as hard”

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