Fitness coach Carlo Nicolini maintains that the sheer number of similar muscular injuries at Milan this season suggests ‘something is wrong’ in the training methods.
The Rossoneri have been decimated by injuries so far this season and many of them have been muscular in nature, which has prompted many to point the finger at coach Stefano Pioli’s training methods and the work of the medical staff.
It is especially curious considering when Milan opened their very own Milan Lab, it was meant to spot muscular problems before they happen and avoid injuries developing.
MilanNews.it spoke to Shakhtar Donetsk fitness coach Nicolini, who has also worked with Galatasaray, Besiktas, Zenit St. Petersburg and the Turkey national team.
“It is not easy to analyse from the outside, but I can say that a club like Milan ought to have 25 muscular injuries all season, not 18 in three months. There have also been some relapses.
“Many work on strength now, but I would advise fitness coaches to avoid muscular problems by focusing on increasing elasticity and co-ordination.”
Pioli, Roma coach Jose Mourinho and Lazio boss Maurizio Sarri are among those who have publicly complained that the packed fixture list leads to more injuries and is damaging the health of the players.
“It does raise the risk of injury, but there are many teams with the same schedule as Milan. My own team plays every 3-4 days, sometimes with journeys of 12-13 hours, and so far we’ve had only 8 injuries,” added Nicolini.
“Milan do not have more games than the other sides in Europe, so something must be wrong in the excess training or the lack of prevention. The fact there are so many similar injuries, in Milan’s case the femoral bicep or flexor, suggests something is wrong in the training methods. On the plus side, if the injuries are all similar, it ought to be easier to find a solution.”
Throughout the Pioli period (I’m not saying it’s his fault), lay offs have been a running theme. The season during which Milan finally finished in the top four was also defined by lay offs. Milan got knocked out of the europa league by Man Utd despite being the better side. I remember Milan putting rade krunic up front in the latter parts of the second leg due to lack of options. The season when Inter won the league, Milan fell off in the 2nd half of the season when losing critical players in defence and midfield. Every other critical player has spent lengthy time on the sidelines. Maignan for one has yet to play a full season at the club.