Milan forced into early change against Sassuolo as Gabbia stretchered off in tears
Quick summary
AC Milan defender Matteo Gabbia was stretchered off in tears during a Serie A match against Sassuolo, forcing Milan into an early substitution.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceMilan defender Matteo Gabbia suffered an unfortunate injury just over a quarter of an hour into his side’s Serie A match away against Sassuolo on Sunday evening, forcing Ruben Amorim into an early substitution after being carried off on a stretcher.
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Gabbia stretchered off 20 minutes into his first Milan start of the season This was Gabbia’s first start of the 2026-27 season, appearing twice off the bench at the beginning of the campaign before suffering a minor ankle issue in September. He was part of a Rossoneri back four that included Mario Gila at right-back, Pervis Estupinan at left-back and Strahinja Pavlovic as his centre-back partner.
MILAN, ITALY – APRIL 26: Matteo Gabbia of AC Milan runs with the ball whilst under pressure from Jonathan David of Juventus during the Serie A match between AC Milan and Juventus FC at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on April 26, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images) His evening lasted for just over 15 minutes, though, after going down hurt while attempting to nick the ball off Armand Lauriente on the touchline on Sassuolo’s left wing.
Gabbia stretched for the ball, but was unable to get back off the deck as the referee waved for play to be continued: No foul had been committed either way.
A distraught Gabbia was eventually stretchered off in tears with what appears to be a flexor issue. He was replaced by Koni De Winter in the 20th minute.
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What happened
AC Milan were forced into an early change during their Serie A fixture against Sassuolo after defender Matteo Gabbia went down injured and had to be carried off on a stretcher. Gabbia was visibly emotional, leaving the pitch in tears, which suggests a potentially serious injury. The timing of the change disrupted Milan's early tactical setup and forced manager Sérgio Conceição into an unplanned adjustment to his defensive line. The nature and severity of Gabbia's injury remain to be confirmed, but the emotional reaction hints at a significant setback for the Milan defender.
Chance analysis
Losing a starting centre-back mid-match is never straightforward, but the way Gabbia left the pitch — on a stretcher and in tears — raises immediate concern about the severity of the injury. Milan are now likely to lean on their defensive depth in the short term, and Conceição's options at the back become thinner depending on how long Gabbia is sidelined. For a team pushing for European qualification, the manager will be hoping the diagnosis is less serious than the visual suggested, because a prolonged absence at centre-back would force significant reshuffling across the back line.
Milan lose a starting centre-back mid-match to a potentially serious injury, weakening their defensive options and forcing tactical reshuffling.