Talk about a gut punch. Milan defender Matteo Gabbia, making his first start of the 2026-27 Serie A season, was forced off with an injury just over a quarter of an hour into Sunday evening’s match away against Sassuolo, leaving Ruben Amorim scrambling for an early substitution after Gabbia was stretchered off in tears.
A Cruel Return to the Starting XI
This was supposed to be a big night for Gabbia. After two earlier appearances off the bench this campaign, and a minor ankle issue in September, he finally got the nod to start. He was a key part of the Rossoneri’s back four, playing alongside Mario Gila at right-back, Pervis Estupinan at left-back, and Strahinja Pavlovic as his centre-back partner. But the dream quickly turned into a nightmare. His time on the pitch lasted barely 15 minutes.
The Play That Ended His Evening
The moment it all went wrong came when Gabbia went down hurt while trying to nick the ball off Armand Lauriente on Sassuolo’s left wing, right there on the touchline. He stretched for the ball, a common enough play, but then he just couldn’t get back up. What’s even wilder is the referee waved play on, no foul committed either way. The sight of a distraught Gabbia being stretchered off in tears with what looks like a flexor issue, replaced by Koni De Winter in the 20th minute, just hits different. You never want to see a player go out like that, especially in their first start.
This is a tough one for Milan, losing a defender so early in such a crucial game, and it throws a wrench into their plans. They’ll need to regroup fast and figure out how to cover for Gabbia’s absence, hoping it’s nothing too serious. What a blow.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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