GdS: Theo determined to get back to his best – he gave up a day off to train

Theo Hernandez wants to return to being one of the best in the world in his position, and he is aiming to show that with renewed commitment.

As La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) report this morning, yesterday was the first of three days of vacation granted by Paulo Fonseca to his team for the Christmas period. Milan will return to training the day after tomorrow to prepare for Sunday’s match against Roma.

Theo, however, showed up at Milanello anyway. With the help of a member of staff, the French full-back did an individual session, following the program drawn up specifically to help him regain the form he lost in recent weeks.

Without naming him, Fonseca had criticised his attitude on the pitch during a post-match outburst following the win over Red Star. Rather than sulking, Theo wants to show a desire to return to the top, but Milan also wants its star back.

After spending 90 minutes on the bench against Genoa, Hernandez was initially a substitute in Verona too. Rafa Leao’s injury shortly after the half hour mark, however, almost forced Fonseca to throw the former Real Madrid man into the fray.

Theo certainly didn’t enchant at the Bentegodi, but against Roma it’s likely that he could return from the first minute, given the many absences. Then, Alex Jimenez would be moved up to play as a winger, with Christian Pulisic ready to come on during the game.

The Frenchman must be ready, because his last outings with the red and black shirt have been decidedly below expectations. It’s not just Milan that have noticed that something is wrong, but also the national team because he was left out of France’s last match at San Siro against Italy.

It is unusual for a player of his level, but an added motivation is that even his starting place with Les Bleus is at risk, especially after Didier Deschamps admitted to being worried about his physical and psychological condition.

Theo has a lot to prove, also in light of his contractual situation. His agreement with Milan expires in 2026 and the dialogue between the management and his agent has already begun. There is confidence that a signature will arrive, though without an improvement some reflections could occur.