Michy Batshuayi could also head to Milan as a replacement for Higuain but his preference is to join Thierry Henry's Monaco side.
It was not the first time Higuain has blowm up against Juventus.
"He had a [high] fever last night", Gattuso told RAI.
"We did everything to get him better, but he didn't play much, so I preferred a fresher player".
"It may seem like a joke, but honestly, it's true".
Gattuso was less open about Higuain's potential departure. "We spoke to him and his agent".
The west Londoners have announced a loan deal has been agreed with the Serie A giants for Higuain, who will be donning the Chelsea shirt until the end of the current season.
Higuain was filmed arriving back in Italy after the Italian Super Cup in Saudi Arabia, where he had played as a substitute as AC Milan lost 1-0 to Juventus.
The 31-year-old was shipped out of Juventus in the summer after the Serie A champions signed Cristiano Ronaldo from Juventus in a club-record deal.
Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri is keen to strengthen his options in attack after dropping misfiring Spain forward Alvaro Morata to the bench and being forced to deploy playmaker Eden Hazard as a "false nine" in recent games. However, since he is officially still a Juve player, Chelsea would need to reach an agreement with the Bianconeri.
Any deal is complicated, given Higuain's deal with Milan runs until the end of the season, and Chelsea are usually reluctant to commit to deals with older players.
The Argentina global scored 36 times in 35 games in Serie A to thrive in Sarri's system at Stamford Bridge. Higuain asked reporters at the airport, according to the Mirror.
