Santiago Gimenez, forward for AC Milan and the Mexican National Team, is putting a positive spin on things, assuring that he will be back in the Rossoneri lineup in a month at the latest, after the surgery he underwent last December.

Gimenez said the above in an interview with ESPN from his residence in Milan, where he stated that he expects to play in a few weeks now that the pain in his ankle has completely subsided, pain that had prevented him from performing at 100% for both AC Milan and the Mexican national team. "It was difficult because there were weeks when I played through the pain. The injury kept getting worse. I needed to stop, but now I just want to focus on the present and the future, not the past. I'm motivated because I'm recovering well and I hope to be able to play again in a few weeks," commented the player known as Bebote. Santiago also addressed the difficult decision he had to make regarding continuing with AC Milan and the World Cup with Mexico with the same injury, or undergoing surgery knowing the risks of missing the entire tournament. Ultimately, however, it was the best decision. "It was an important season with Milan, and then the World Cup was coming up, so it was a difficult decision. But in the end, now that it's over "One month after the operation, I can say it was the best decision," he said. Gimenez has gone through some difficult times at the Italian club because, in addition to the press, the pressure from fans has been constant, claiming they made a mistake signing him from Feyenoord, where he made a name for himself as a goalscorer, but where he has struggled to deliver goals. The rivalry with his teammate Pulisic: Santiago Gimenez also took advantage of the interview to address his relationship with his AC Milan teammate, the American Christian Pulisic, who, paradoxically, is his most direct rival because they compete for the Mexican and US national teams at every opportunity. “We always talk about this in the locker room. They joke with us or ask, “Who's better, the United States or Mexico?” I say Mexico, Pulisic says the United States, and a discussion breaks out in the locker room, but it's all in good fun in the end!

“If we play a match between national teams, we're enemies, we're rivals. But in the locker room, he's one of my best friends. We're always together, and I hope that if he doesn't play against Mexico, he does well. But if he does play against Mexico, of course, if I have to 'kill' him, I will!” he concluded.

“With Raul Jimenez, we create something together with our opponents”

Santiago Gimenez also spoke about forming a good partnership with Raul Jimenez in the Mexican national team's attack and stated: “I think we create something for our opponents when we play together. He's a great friend; we sometimes communicate via WhatsApp, and I've learned more about him through the national team,” he concluded.