Fikayo Tomori Returns to AC Milan Training
After a three-week freeze-out under Ruben Amorim, Tomori rejoined Milan's squad and could feature against Juventus with Gabbia injured.
Fikayo Tomori trained with Milan's first-team squad on Thursday for the first time in three weeks, ending a stand-off that had kept him frozen out under new head coach Ruben Amorim.
The centre-back was one of several players told they had no future at San Siro this season, alongside Christopher Nkunku, Youssouf Fofana, Santiago Gimenez and Odogu. Nkunku and Fofana have since moved on, to RB Leipzig and Sevilla respectively. Tomori, by contrast, held out, reportedly determined to leave Milan only on his own terms, and links to Fulham, Nottingham Forest and Coventry City all came to nothing before the window shut.
It is a reinstatement that sits awkwardly with what the club had said throughout the summer, when officials repeatedly ruled out any exemptions for players pushed out of the squad.
Amorim addressed the policy in Thursday's press conference, explaining why he had trimmed his working group even for players he rates highly.
«Alcuni giocatori, anche se non lasceranno il club, non faranno parte della squadra. Non è perché non siano migliori giocatori di altri, sono veramente ottimi giocatori e davvero dei bravi ragazzi, ma è impossibile allenarsi durante la settimana con 27 giocatori. Nessuno riesce a prepararsi al meglio, nessuno è soddisfatto. Dunque, ci sono alcuni giocatori che se rimarranno non saranno parte della squadra».
Tomori has been Milan's player since January 2021, longer than anyone else currently on the books; Rafael Leao, recently sold to Galatasaray, had been the previous holder of that mark, ahead of Matteo Gabbia and Mike Maignan.
His return comes at a useful moment. Gabbia has missed the last two days of training with an ankle problem picked up this week, and Milan face Juventus away on Sunday. Gabbia has been used only as a substitute in the closing stages of both league games so far this season, a 2-1 win at Torino and a 2-0 home win over Venezia, leaving Mario Gila, Koni De Winter and now potentially Tomori as the options at the back.
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