Saelemaekers faces lengthy layoff as Milan prepare to miss two players against Atalanta

Alexis Saelemaekers is expected to miss around five months after right-ankle surgery, ruling him out of AC Milan’s home match against Atalanta on Sunday. Matteo Gabbia will also miss the game, with a recovery estimate of three to four months after a thigh injury. Saelemaekers’ return date is less certain, with reported estimates ranging from three to six months.

Milan said Saelemaekers’ operation in Amsterdam was “perfectly successful”. The procedure cleaned up and stabilized his right ankle, which had lost stability after an operation in Rome two years ago following a malleolus fracture. He sustained the latest injury during the international break.

The recovery estimates point to very different timelines. Calciomercato.com has reported both a three-to-four-month absence, which could allow Saelemaekers to return in February 2027, and a five-month layoff that could push his comeback to mid-March or later. MilanNews reported an estimate of five to six months. The longer projection would keep the Belgian out for a substantial part of the season, rather than just the next run of fixtures.

Gabbia has a tear in the flexor muscle of his left thigh, with partial tendon involvement. He was carried off on a stretcher against Sassuolo. Calciomercato.com reported that his recovery could take at least three to four months, depending in part on whether he and Milan’s staff choose surgery. A return around late February has been suggested, potentially for the return derby against Inter or a later match.

The timing matters for a Milan side that has made an unbeaten start: they sit fifth with 12 points from six games, having won three and drawn three. Missing both players removes two squad options for Atalanta and beyond, but Saelemaekers’ uncertain, potentially longer recovery is the bigger concern. Milan’s immediate task is to protect that start while the club works through two extended absences.