Rabiot on injury recovery, Milan derby goals, Allegri and rejecting Thuram: ‘Fired up’

Milan midfielder Adrien Rabiot says that he is ready ‘mentally and physically’ to take part in his first Derby della Madonnina between Milan and Inter this weekend, has explained why he enjoys working under Massimiliano Allegri so much, and has explained why he had to turn down Nerazzurri striker Marcus Thuram last week. 

The Frenchman gave an in-depth interview to DAZN heading into the first clash of Milan and Inter this season, which will fall at 19.45 GMT on Sunday. The Nerazzurri will be the designated home side. 

For Rabiot, the Derby is an opportunity to make a comeback following a month on the sidelines with a calf injury he picked up during the October international break. 

“I’m doing fine, I’ve been working outside and in the gym over the last few weeks. I just miss being on the pitch. Mentally and physically, I’m doing very well,” Rabiot told DAZN. 

“No athlete likes to be injured, I’m sorry that I’ve not been able to help the team. It’s taken a little while to recover because you have to be careful with calves. It’s better to not risk being out for another three to four weeks.” 

The numbers do not lie: Milan have done better when Rabiot has been in the starting line-up. 

The Rossoneri have won 10 points from the four Serie A matches that the Frenchman has been involved in this term, and just nine points from the last five league matches when he has been unavailable, including disappointing draws against Pisa and Parma during that time. 

“I always think that I can help. We’re stronger when I’m there. I always give my all, I do my best for my teammates,” Rabiot said. 

“There’ve been some positive and negative moments. We’ve done well against the big teams, but we’ve lacked a little against Pisa and Parma. We had less concentration, the team was less solid. 

Rabiot also explained why he gets on so well with Milan and former Juventus head coach Massimiliano Allegri. 

“I’ve always got on well with the coach, I’m happy to be working with him again. I like to be with the right people. Milan is an extraordinary club with a lot of history and it would be great to win here. I think I’m in the right place to do what I love most and to keep improving. 

“Allegri is fantastic, he’s always positive and knows how to communicate with everyone. I like his ‘anger’ on the pitch, his determination and desire to win. He always finds the right things to say in his team talks, even at the end of the game when we haven’t played well. 

“The coach calls me a ‘crazy horse’. I’m a player who always gives everything, who gets up and down. He likes horses and horse racing.” 

And what does Rabiot expect from his first derby against Inter on Sunday? 

“A fiery match. I’ve never watched it in the stadium, but I can’t wait to be there because I love this sort of game. You don’t get a full sense of the atmosphere on TV, but it will be nice to say that I’ve played in a derby like this. 

“Maignan has told me about the importance of this game, how important it is to win for our history and for the fans. All this fires me up, I can’t wait to play, and I can’t wait to get back on the pitch because I haven’t played for a month.” 

Rabiot also explained that he recently had to turn down an offer to meet up with his friend and international colleague Marcus Thuram, who has also been out injured over the last few weeks, and is also poised to return for the derby. 

“Marcus is a friend of mine, we spoke a few days ago. I’ll message him before the derby, we can joke about these things, but not too much. We talk about a bit of everything. He asked me if I was free to go somewhere during this time over the break, but I had to work and I preferred to stay focused on my recovery. But we will talk and we have a good relationship. 

When asked who he thinks is stronger between Marcus and Khephren Thuram, Rabiot replied: “When Marcus talks about his brother, he says that (Khephren) is stronger, that he has more quality, that he is younger and still has a lot to prove.”

And does Rabiot feel that Milan can go all the way and win the Scudetto this season? 

“We have a strong team. With my mentality, I try to push all of my teammates to give their best. It’s a strong group. The important thing is to stay close to first place, but there’s still a long way to go. 

“There are so many games in November and December, including the Supercoppa, which is another goal of ours. We will be able to estimate where we could end up a little better in February.”