Mexico's Star Striker Dealt Crushing Blow with Major Injury
Santiago Giménez's sophomore campaign with AC Milan has deteriorated significantly, as the Mexican national team forward revealed he must take an extended break due to a nagging ankle problem.
The underperforming striker was compelled to exit during Milan's clash with Atalanta on October 28th. Head coach Massimiliano Allegri originally anticipated Giménez would be available for Milan's subsequent match versus Roma, but he was absent from the weekend squad.
Tuesday evening saw Giménez personally address his condition via social media, disclosing that he has been competing while injured for several months.
"For several months now, I've been competing with an ankle problem that has prevented me from performing at full capacity or feeling at ease during matches," Giménez stated in his announcement.
"Despite my strong motivation to continue supporting the squad, I persisted in playing, but the discomfort continued to worsen and the moment has arrived to take a break. It's now time to heal and prepare to rejoin you at the earliest opportunity. Thank you for your encouragement, see you shortly!"
AC Milan has not yet released official details about Giménez's condition, though ESPN indicates that the 24-year-old striker may be sidelined for roughly five weeks.
Santiago Giménez Experiencing Disastrous Beginning to 2025–26 Campaign
Considerable speculation surrounded Giménez potentially departing AC Milan during the summer window, with an exchange arrangement involving Roma's striker Artem Dobvyk seeming feasible.
No deal came to fruition and Giménez remained. However, since Allegri's appointment, the forward has performed well below the standard that prompted Milan to spend €32 million ($36 million) acquiring him from Feyenoord at the beginning of 2025. This decline hasn't been due to limited playing time either.
Giménez has been in the starting lineup for eight of Milan's 10 Serie A fixtures this season but has failed to register any league goal contributions. His sole strike this campaign occurred during a Coppa Italia encounter against Lecce. That represents one goal across 992 minutes of action prior to his injury.
Recent speculation indicates that the Rossoneri issued Giménez an ultimatum. He must rediscover his scoring touch, or the organization might consider finding him alternative accommodations during the January window.
It's crucial that Giménez regains his peak performance following recovery, or his immediate prospects could become highly uncertain, threatening his position both at club level and internationally ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Due to his injury, Giménez is already confirmed to miss Mexico's upcoming November international fixtures, creating opportunities for alternative strikers to showcase their abilities to manager Javier Aguirre.
Potential Replacements for Santiago Giménez in Mexico's November Squad
Giménez will be absent for Mexico's final two matches of the calendar year, representing a significant setback given his modest tally of just two goals for El Tri since summer 2023—both scored in exhibition games.
Raúl Jiménez has bounced back from his own injury concerns and has appeared in recent Fulham fixtures. The experienced striker is expected to rejoin El Tri after being unavailable for October's international duties.
However, Giménez's unavailability provides Aguirre an opportunity to evaluate lesser-known forwards who have been excelling recently. No player exemplifies this better than 22-year-old Armando González.
The Chivas attacker is enjoying an outstanding Liga MX Apertura 2025 campaign. He has netted 11 times in 16 matches, sharing the lead in the golden boot competition with two other players. His contributions have enabled Chivas to reach the quarterfinals after completely missing the playoffs last season.
Having surpassed established forwards like Alan Pulido and Javier "Chicharito" Hernández in Chivas' pecking order, González might now seek to accomplish the same feat against Giménez within El Tri's setup.