CM: What is behind Theo Hernandez’s decline and how Milan plan to fix it | OneFootball

Many are wondering what happened to Theo Hernandez, given that he has not had the best of starts to the 2024-25 season with AC Milan.

Calciomercato.com begin their report by stating that the ‘devastating full-back who scored like a striker has disappeared’. Or almost, because there are still some flashes that he shows, but overall his performances have alternated between highs and lows that have made fans frustrated.

Theo wants to respond to the criticism on the pitch, and there can be no better occasion than the big game at San Siro between Milan and Juventus scheduled for Saturday at 18:00. Paulo Fonseca will field him as a starter after the international break, in which he started one of France’s two games.

According to France coach Didier Deschamps, the reason for Hernandez’s decline is linked to a psychological factor. He implied that the player must work on the mental aspect to return to being the top player he was before, to reset everything at the end of each match and start from scratch.

“Theo played the first match against Israel not at 100%. I don’t want to specify the problem he had, but he is not in the best condition and for this reason I left him out against Italy. It was better this way,” he said.

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While he did have a slight knee issue, Deschamps hinted that Theo’s mental condition should be of concern. In many ways Milan are culpable because of the amount that he works: the defender takes the field every three days due to the lack of a natural and reliable deputy.

To get Theo to perform at his best, the solution could be to let him rest a bit in some games, to have him at his best in the big matches. To do this, the coach needs a proper back-up, and the January window could provide signs in this sense.

A name linked to Milan for the winter is Fabiano Parisi, who is being kept out at Fiorentina by Cristiano Biraghi and Robin Gosens. Fonseca likes the player a lot, a loan with option deal can be done. Theo Hernandez would have the opportunity to rest every now and hopefully return to his best.