Noah Okafor is expected to replace the injured Rafael Leao in the upcoming games. For the Swiss international, it’s a huge opportunity and now more than ever, he must show his best qualities.
Leao is currently recovering from a hamstring injury and he will certainly miss the game against Fiorentina. And with Olivier Giroud suspended, Okafor is expected to start as the No.9, while Christian Pulisic will replace the Portuguese international on the left.
As highlighted by Gazzetta dello Sport, Okafor must show his best qualities now more than ever. His only two goals this season have come from inside the box, but Stefano Pioli knows that he’s best suited to play on the flank.
Against Lecce, he combined very well with Theo Hernandez for the first goal and Milan saw a glimpse of what he is capable of. While he likely will start as a striker against Fiorentina, he will certainly be the left-winger against Borussia Dortmund in case Leao can’t make it.
In such an important game, a lot of responsibility would fall on Okafor, whose start to the season has been quieter than expected. Milan were impressed above all with his solo runs for RB Salzburg, putting the defenders in trouble similarly to Leao. This is something we haven’t seen enough of so far, and the upcoming weeks will tell us a lot.
