Rafael Leao missed out on AC Milan’s clash against Atalanta last night and his absence was felt once again. However, after four games on the sidelines, the Portuguese winger will be back from start against Newcastle.
Milan will take on the English side on Wednesday next week, in need of a win to keep the Round of 16 dream alive. A win will not be enough, though, as the Rossoneri also need the already-qualified Borussia Dortmund to beat Paris Saint-Germain.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, as cited by MilanNews, Milan didn’t want to take any risks and thus didn’t include Leao in the squad yesterday. However, he will be back against Newcastle and Pioli will field him from the first minute as well.
Therefore, although it’s still an uphill battle, Milan will at least be able to count on their star Leao in the pursuit. It won’t just be a decisive game for the Rossoneri, but also for Pioli who has come under scrutiny in the last few weeks.
Missing out on the knockout stage would be a huge financial blow, and the Europa League is not a certainty either. A win is a must, in short, and then we will see how much that will be worth.
The future of pioLOL is on the hand of LeaLOL