Mario Gila has returned to Italy and will not feature again in pre-season, with the defender now aiming to be fit for Milan's Serie A opener against Torino.
The Spaniard was one of five players who left the pre-season camp early and flew back to Italy, still troubled by the injury that kept him out of the friendly against Inter. Milan had hoped he would recover over the course of the tour, so cutting his time with the group short is a step in the wrong direction.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Gila's target is now the first league game against Torino. On July 28 it was reported that he should be back in training within a week, and this latest development suggests that timeline has slipped.
The decision was taken with the medical staff. Gila has come through the worst of the injury and the fatigue that came with it, but a degree of discomfort remains, and both player and doctors judged that risking him in friendlies was not worth it. The priority is having him ready for the opening weekend rather than rushing him into meaningless minutes.
Back at Milanello, Gila will link up with Christian Pulisic and Santiago Gimenez, the only two first-team players currently in Italy. Pulisic is also building his own training plan around the Torino fixture.
For a defender still settling in after his move, missing the rest of pre-season is not ideal, but the calendar leaves room to get him right for the game that actually counts. Whether he makes it depends on how the discomfort responds in the coming days.