"Do you recognize me?! I CAME BACK!"

With great reinforcements of exclamation points and capital letters, Maignan posted on Instagram his relief after finding the grounds, on February 26, five months after his last appearance, with the France team, and a series of glitches in the calf LEFT.

Recognize it?

The Milanese tifosi had no trouble as he easily took his place between the posts of San Siro, without taking a goal against Atalanta (2-0).

If this return was calm against the "Dea", the goalkeeper had a much more turbulent evening on Saturday in Florence during the defeat of the Italian champions against Fiorentina (2-1).

The 27-year-old goalkeeper delayed the deadline with decisive saves but had to give in twice in the second half, without power, on a penalty from Nicolas Gonzalez and a point-blank header from Luka Jovic.

"A lion in a cage"

"Beyond the result, a fundamental return", however judged the Gazzetta dello Sport, designating "Magic Mike" as the best Rossonero and saluting the quality of his kicking game in the recovery, which was so lacking in Milan .

These two matches allowed Maignan to regain some rhythm and some benchmarks before Wednesday's big meeting in London.

Milan will need the reflexes and the calm of the one who quickly made Gianluigi Donnarumma forget last year to hope to preserve the short advantage (1-0) taken in the first leg at San Siro thanks to Brahim Diaz.

It would be the first time that Milan, the second most successful club in C1 behind Real Madrid with its seven crowns (against 14 for the Spaniards), has reached the quarter-finals since the 2011/12 season.

Maignan also wants to make up for lost time after these five months without competition, lived "like a lion in a cage" according to his trainer Stefano Pioli.

Mike Maignan on February 26, 2023 in Milan © Marco BERTORELLO / AFP/Archives

The ex-Lillois missed five Champions League matches but also the 2022 World Cup in Qatar as Hugo Lloris' understudy.

"Intended" for the Blues

Even though Pioli praised Ciprian Tatarusanu, who "did his duty" in the Milan goal during the holder's injury, Maignan also missed out a lot in the league where the Rossoneri let go of the title, lost the Italian Supercup and fell in the Italian Cup during a black month of January.

This return will also be scrutinized by the French coach Didier Deschamps, two weeks before the start of qualifying for Euro-2024 against the Netherlands (March 24) and Ireland (27).

These matches should logically mark the enthronement of Maignan as the new French N.1, after the announcement of the international retirement of Lloris, at 36 years old.

Away from the field for a priori a few more weeks, due to a knee injury, the Tottenham goalkeeper will have every opportunity to follow the stands or in front of his TV the state of form of his announced successor.

Mike Maignan on February 26, 2023 in Milan © Marco BERTORELLO / AFP

A successor he has already dubbed by announcing his retirement on January 9 in the columns of L'Equipe: "It's time for the others to take their chance, and we know that Mike is destined to take over. I only wish him well", assured Lloris who, to hope to play again in C1 this season, will still hope that "Magic Mike" does not stop all of Harry Kane's shots on Wednesday.

© 2023 AFP