Tension in Milan as Maignan and Rabiot Extend Holidays

Tension grows in Milan as Maignan and Rabiot delay return

Ruben Amorim has been in the job only a matter of weeks, but he already knows what pressure in Milan feels like. The new AC Milan head coach is trying to shape a squad for the 2026-27 Serie A season, yet two of his most important players are still on the beach.

With less than two weeks to go before the opener against Torino, captain Mike Maignan and senior midfielder Adrien Rabiot have chosen to extend their holidays, returning just seven days before the first ball is kicked.

Holidays extended, patience shortened

Both Maignan and Rabiot went deep into the 2026 World Cup with France and were initially due back at Milanello on August 14. That date has now shifted to August 16, according to multiple reports in Italy, leaving Amorim to prepare for Torino without his starting goalkeeper and one of his most experienced midfielders.

On paper, it is a two-day delay. In the current climate around Milan, it feels like much more.

The squad remains in flux. The club must move players out before it can properly back Amorim in the market. Rafael Leao’s future still hangs in the balance, casting a shadow over every planning session. In that context, the sight of Maignan and Rabiot absent from training has landed badly with sections of the fanbase.

Comparisons with Inter stir the mood

The frustration is sharpened by what is happening across the city. Inter pair Lautaro Martinez and John Stones, who also went far at the World Cup, are already back in full training under Cristian Chivu.

Supporters look at that and see commitment. They look at Milanello and see empty spaces where their captain and midfield leader should be.

Rabiot at least has spoken clearly about his intentions. During the World Cup he stated he would return to Milan, meet Amorim and “go again” in 2026-27. His late arrival is annoying for some, but his message about the season ahead has been consistent.

Maignan is a different story.

Maignan’s silence speaks loudly

The goalkeeper’s situation feels increasingly delicate. Officially, he remains Milan’s captain. Unofficially, his recent behaviour has raised more than a few eyebrows.

Maignan has stripped his social media profiles of all photos and references to Milan, a move that rarely signals contentment in the modern game. For a club trying to project stability around a new coach, the optics are poor.

Then came another detail that did not go unnoticed: Maignan did not attend the funeral of Franco Baresi last week. For many inside and outside the club, the legendary defender represents the soul of Milan. The absence of the current captain on such an occasion has only intensified the sense that something is not quite right.

No official explanation has emerged. No public statement has been made. In the silence, speculation grows.

Amorim’s early test

Amorim walks into all of this with the clock ticking. He needs clarity on Maignan’s state of mind, on Rabiot’s readiness, on Leao’s future, and on who will be moved out to fund the reinforcements he has been promised.

Instead, he is running preseason sessions without his captain and one of his on-field lieutenants, while rivals complete their preparations with their World Cup stars already reintegrated.

The two Frenchmen are expected back on August 16. By then, there will be just one week to Torino, one week to set the tone for a new era under Amorim.

When they finally walk through the doors at Milanello, the question will not simply be whether they are fit. It will be whether they are fully committed to the project Milan are trying, urgently, to build.