Cheveyo Balentien is back in training for Milan Futuro's pre-season, marking a fresh start for the 19-year-old after a season wrecked by injuries.
For a player Milan rate highly, last year was close to a write-off. Balentien missed more than 200 days of the 2025/26 campaign, which for a teenager trying to establish himself is not just lost minutes but lost development at the age when it matters most. Getting a full pre-season into his legs is the first thing he actually needs, ahead of any conversation about the first team.
The winger confirmed his return on Instagram, as MilanNews report, with a short message: “We’re back and now we have to work.”
The reason his name carries any first-team relevance is the man now in charge. Ruben Amorim has shown at every club he's managed that he'll hand minutes to young players who earn them, and ownership under Gerry Cardinale has been explicit about wanting the academy to feed the senior squad rather than the transfer market alone. Balentien, an electric dribbler who still needs to adjust to the physical and tactical demands of Italian football, fits the profile of a player who could benefit if he stays fit.
That last part is the whole story. The talent has never been the question, the availability has. A clean pre-season is the audition, and for now it's up to Balentien to give Amorim a reason to look down the age ladder.