It was one of the brilliant moves Allegri makes every now and then with lists, subs and player relations.

But it was an incredible illusion to expect all problems gone away after a few sessions. I'm always guided by that old rule: X time spent injured must result in X time spent preparing for a full recuperation.

Normally I would say Pato shouldn't play when he's been in and out of action for so long. but then I think about Robinho and his big misses, and El Sha and his vast inexperience, and I say screw it, play the Duck! he hasn't really disappointed against the Spanish duo before.

a player who can run at the defense at PACE and cause havoc and create channels for the other attackers

Pato was in excellent condition, and his problem supposedly had been resolved, we were told before the match. Allegri saw him in training and was convinced to bring him on the bench. I don't see any problem in playing him for the last 20 minutes or so. But to get injured again so quickly? Meh... We're back to square one. Broken.

his problem supposedly had been resolved

I don't think I've seen anything of the sorts during my 12 years of following football.

Maybe during the summer break.

And you guys think we'll have a chance selling Pato this summer for a good price? Who'd want such a risk?

Paris Saint-Germain

Alexandre Pato’s season has come to an end after the Milan man suffered another muscle injury in the 3-1 loss at Barcelona.

The Brazilian international was recently given the all clear after medical checks in America last week, but his comeback lasted just 13 minutes at the Nou Camp.

“His season is over,” revealed Rossoneri doctor Jean Pierre Meersseman to the Gazzetta dello Sport. “We’ll have to start again when he has healed.

“But who will take the responsibility of playing him again? I really don’t know which Saint I should now turn to...”

Pato, who almost joined Paris Saint-Germain in January, has picked up 14 muscle strains since January 2010.

“He’s been all over, from Germany to America, in a bid to resolve his fragile muscles,” Meersseman added.

“He’s been looked at and cured. I’ve even asked my spiritual therapist to pray for him…

“I didn’t sleep at all after the Barcelona game. I’ll take responsibility for the relapse, even if I don’t know what they are.

“I didn’t solve something in three weeks which hasn’t been resolved in two years.

“Pato was declared fit on 13 occasions, but evidently he wasn’t healed. When I saw on the TV that he was injured I felt bad. I wasn’t expecting it to go like that.”

I don't think they'll offer as much as they did this January. Why would they?

Gotta feel bad for the kid - in the last two season he went from the best striker in the world potential to a guy who can't stay injury free for more than few minutes at most.

A.C. Milan are absolutely determined to resolve Alexandre Pato’s muscular problems as quickly as possible.

There are numerous options, both diagnostic and therapeutic, still open and there’s no doubt that the current situation will be brought to a satisfactory conclusion.

Pato will be back soon stronger than ever.

The guy has a serious problem. I don't think his body is capable of the rigours of football - bad genes possibly.

His muscles simply do not cope with the top level game - and I doubt he will ever get any better.

He really did have potential, but with this news, I think, sadly, the game's up for him.

from acmilan.com:

The guy has a serious problem. I don't think his body is capable of the rigours of football - bad genes possibly.

His muscles simply do not cope with the top level game - and I doubt he will ever get any better.

He really did have potential, but with this news, I think, sadly, the game's up for him.

He played football until 19-20, including 3-4 years professionally, with no problem. then we made him big and he started to get injured (I clearly remember one of his interview where he said he'd been doing trainings and been gaining a few kilos and how he's happy with that because he's "stronger" now). so, no. it's not genes IMO. just bad treatment.

He was ok before they started messing with his body. He played both in Brazil and Italy without any injury before these past few years. I refuse to believe that it's something that was always wrong with him, if that were the case then he'd have had these problems before.

His body has not handled the step up.

The big question is, was this trip really necessary?! Did we just have to bulk him up?!

CR, Kaka, Messi .. All superstars and all received/receiving growth treatment ... Bulking him up allows him to sustain the hard work that is required in training and during the 90 mins of each game.

Now the question should be, is Pato eligible for such treatment? He most likely should be, otherwise the medical before signing him would have been a fluke.

Or just wrong?

“Milan communicates that today Alexandre Pato underwent an MRI scan. The examination has shown an injury, between grade one and grade two, to the biceps femoris muscle of the left leg.”

It is a statement so frequently posted on Milan's official website that all they need do is copy and paste the last one, and change the minor details such as the leg affected.

How frequently is it posted? La Gazzetta dello Sport reckon Pato's injury against Barcelona was his 14th since January 2010, although only half of them were identified as hamstring injuries, with another two simply labelled as muscle strains in his right and left leg respectively.

Although La Gazzetta use January 2010 as a cut-off, Pato had suffered hamstring injuries before this point, yet more than two years later, now approaching three, the club are no closer to solving the problem.

In December 2010 they sent Pato to the USA to seek opinion from Dr William Garrett, a specialist in orthopaedics at Duke University. He conducted a variety of gait analyses using video and force plates, and concluded the problem was postural - Pato's running style means he leans too far forward during sprints, creating a muscle imbalance that loads the hamstrings.

Former sprinter Stefano Tilli also believes Pato’s issues stem from posture, although he identified a problem in the lower half of the body in Thursday’s Gazzetta: “When the foot leaves the ground, the pelvis is too far forward, and the foot is parallel to the floor, instead of at a 90 degree angle to the rest of the leg. It places too much pressure on the hamstrings.”

Either MilanLab were not listening to Garrett’s opinions or they ignored his advice altogether, because the problems have not subsided. They may even think that Garrett is wrong, and certainly the change in direction this year seems to suggest MilanLab believe there is a different cause for the injuries.

From an orthopaedic specialist in 2010, Milan - under the guidance of Jean-Pierre Meersseman - took him to a chiropractic neurologist, Dr Frederick Carrick, only last week. After assessing Pato’s brain activity, he amusingly gave him a clean bill of health on the Friday, only to see the Brazilian injured the following Tuesday.

What has flown under the radar throughout this two-and-a-half year period, and indeed Carlo Ancelotti’s final season where injuries were also rife, is the constant changing of staff at MilanLab.

The last four seasons have seen four different individuals as director of medicine at the club – Massimiliano Sala in 2008-09, Massimo Manara in 2009-10, Gianluca Melegati in 2010-11 and now Rodolfo Tavana, who took over last May, and was previously at the club from 1987-2003. Each has brought one or two of their own doctors with them, and as is the way in medicine, each has their own specialty and ideas for injury prevention and management.

This position belonged to Meersseman before the flurry of changes, but he has taken an increasingly marginal role since 2008 at his own request. He was credited as one of the driving forces behind the MilanLab set-up, and the fact that each of the four seasons since he vacated the post has seen the squad decimated by injuries augments his reputation.

It is telling that the club turned to him to solve Pato’s problems, and it also explains the massive difference in approach from 2010 to now. Melegati, an expert in rehabilitation and injury prevention, took Pato to an orthopaedic specialist, Meersseman, a chiropractor, took him to see a colleague in his same field.

Both approaches have failed, though given the decent injury record during his time at the club, you would fancy Meersseman to get to the bottom of it. He had a sly dig at the length of time he had been given when speaking of Pato’s latest setback: “I have not solved something in three weeks that has not been resolved in two years.” Perhaps he should have focused on the real problem hurting the No 7 right now, the continuity of care, or lack thereof.

Pato 'working intensely' on comeback

By Football Italia staff

Alexandre Pato has told Brazilian media he is “working intensely and thinking about the Olympics,” explaining his latest Milan injury setback.

The striker has barely featured this season due to a series of muscular problems, including a serious thigh strain just minutes after making his comeback at the Nou Camp.

“The decision to play in Barcelona was made by everyone, including me,” he told Rede Globo.

“I live for football. It is my work and my life. When I can run and kick a ball, I always do it with joy and a smile on my face. It’s exactly what I want to do.

“I want to get back to playing well, scoring many goals and giving my contribution to help Milan and the Seleçao.

“Now I am working intensely and thinking about the Olympics. The only way I can speak to Brazil manager Mano Menezes is by working on the pitch. I try to do my best.”

Milan Coach Massimiliano Allegri was also interviewed by the Brazilian programme and praised ‘The Duck.’

“Pato is a very important player. He hasn’t been able to feature much this season, but he is very young and this is why I think he can become the best in the world.”

You are pr0 in creating theories as well,as long as it's not proven,I'm not going to buy it,and it's what every person should do.You can't blame the player before your "theory" is confirmed.