Star Striker's Devastating Injury Crushes Mexico's World Cup Dreams
The challenging campaign for Mexico national team forward Santiago Gimenez takes another difficult turn as it has been announced he will require ankle surgery to address an injury that has kept him out of action since October.
Gimenez disclosed in late October that he had been managing ankle discomfort for several months before the pain intensified and he chose to step away from play. Initial reports suggested he would be absent for approximately five weeks, but AC Milan head coach Massimiliano Allegri confirmed on Tuesday that surgical intervention is necessary to restore Gimenez to complete health.
"Gimenez will undergo surgery tomorrow [Dec. 18]," Allegri stated before Milan's encounter with Napoli in the Italian Super Cup. "He underwent conservative treatment for a period and it was progressing well, but the ankle issue has deteriorated in recent days.
"He received a medical consultation and the physicians recommended surgical treatment. I hope to have him available again as quickly as possible."
How Long Will Santiago Gimenez Be Sidelined Following Ankle Surgery?
Allegri did not provide specific details about Gimenez's expected recovery timeline after surgery, but Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport indicates he could be unavailable for six to eight weeks.
This represents a devastating setback for Gimenez, who was already experiencing significant difficulties before his injury. The 24-year-old forward was unable to score despite appearing in all nine of Milan's Serie A matches at the season's start, with eight starts among those appearances.
Questions about Gimenez's future at AC Milan had emerged even prior to his injury. Now, with the striker potentially sidelined until late January at the earliest, the circumstances become increasingly complicated.
Current reports indicate Milan has shown interest in German forward Niclas Füllkrug from West Ham United. Allegri addressed this speculation with an insightful response.
"Regarding the transfer market, we have not discussed that topic," Allegri commented. "Our present focus is on rehabilitating our injured players. Following the Super Cup, we will evaluate what possibilities exist in the January [transfer window]."
Füllkrug's possible signing threatens Gimenez's already unstable status at Milan. However, the consequences of the striker's current injury and recent performances could impact the Mexico national team, just months before the 2026 World Cup begins.
Santiago Gimenez Faces Risk of Missing 2026 World Cup
It's undeniable that Gimenez's prospects with El Tri are currently as questionable as his situation at AC Milan.
Should Gimenez depart Milan in January, he must first recover from injury before rapidly finding his rhythm in a completely new setting with presumably only five months remaining until Mexico's World Cup opener.
If he remains at Milan, particularly if another striker joins in January, he might struggle to secure regular minutes given the club will only participate in Serie A from February through season's end.
Adding to "El Bebote's" challenges, Liga MX forwards Germán Berterame and Armando González have elevated their performances recently, providing El Tri coach Javier Aguirre with additional striker options that could potentially serve as Raul Jiménez's understudy next summer.
The anticipation surrounding Gimenez's transfer to Milan in early 2025 was enormous, and following such an encouraging beginning, it seemed he was positioned to lead Mexico's offensive line in the World Cup.
Nearly a year later, the Cruz Azul academy product is facing a time crunch to return to peak condition and regain his scoring touch. Without doing so, he faces a genuine possibility of being among the initial players excluded from Mexico's World Cup squad for the second consecutive tournament.