Santiago Gimenez says his ankle is on the mend after the injury he picked up in Mexico's World Cup last-16 defeat to England, speaking to Mexican media in comments relayed by MilanVibes.
The update matters because the timing is awful for both player and club. Gimenez is already fighting to convince anyone he's Milan's answer at centre-forward after a first season that produced far too few goals, and now he risks missing the start of the campaign under Max Allegri. With Milan reportedly open to offers and continuing to scan the market for a new number nine, every week he spends on the treatment table is a week he can't use to change the narrative.
"Very good, thank God, my ankle is getting better," Gimenez said, without offering a specific return date. He also brushed off the wave of social media mockery that followed the injury, calling the memes "great fun" and rejecting the idea that Mexico's tournament was a failure: "We did the best we could, and even though we deserved more, I think we made a good impression."
He also welcomed the appointment of Rafa Marquez as Mexico's new head coach, dismissing the friction between Marquez and parts of the Mexican press as a matter of personality. "He's a very private person who never liked to talk, not even when he was at Barça."