Not having a proper preseason is a poor excuse in my book, especially if you are by far the highest paid player in the team and a captain.
You can use it for an excuse first couple of games of the season and maybe even a first month, but after that it's just bullshit imo. And what does that even imply that he didn't have a proper preseason? If it implies he is not in form than surely we would have seen some improvements there three months into the season, usually players get gradually better and better as games roll by, instead he is the same sluggish self as in the first game against genoa. And if it implies he didn't have proper rest, then even that cant be a good reason for him to look this deflated. He wasn't the only "big" player who played a huge amount of games last season both for the national and club level, but he is the only one it seems who doesn't even look like a shadow of himself.
I don't care what everyone else says, for me, it's a huge red flag the player who had a hugely successful last season looks like this in the following year. That's not a big player and big salary energy we are now expecting, and rightfully so after many years of wait.