GdS: ‘Milan forward without Leao’ – Fonseca makes brave choice for Napoli game

AC Milan return to action tonight and take on the table-toppers Napoli at San Siro, but they will do so without Rafael Leao from minute one.

As La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) write this morning, Napoli arrive with an eight-point advantage over the Rossoneri, also due to the match that was postponed over the weekend against Bologna.

After the wins against Udinese and Club Brugge that have come since the international break the key is to become more consistent for Milan. A shock bit of news has emerged though: Paulo Fonseca should opt once again to put Rafael Leao on the bench from the start.

The paper coined a new term: ‘Leaout’. The winger will be excluded from the starting XI again this evening, in such an important match for Milan against a rival that they have faced a lot in recent years, and who Leao has done well against.

Yesterday, Fonseca immediately wanted to specify – while not revealing his choices – that Leao’s exclusions are not punishments but simple technical choices.

“Rafa has worked well as always and it is not a problem, nor a coincidence. We are sure that he will soon return to show what we expect from him,” he said.

Now everything is in the hands of the player: it will be up to him, with the time that is granted to him, to take back his spot. For the moment, Fonseca trusts Okafor and Chukwueze more, and they will get the nod tonight.

Leao is an asset to the Diavolo and that is why the club does not want to give up on him. In recent days Zlatan Ibrahimovic spoke to Rafa, almost like an older brother, so now the management want him to be more active on the pitch and in the defensive phase.

In the meantime, Fonseca will have to deal with other selection issues. Theo Hernandez and Tijjani Reijnders are suspended,while Matteo Gabbia, Tammy Abraham and Luka Jovic are injured.