Theo Hernandez missed out on AC Milan’s clash against Empoli yesterday due to suspension and Alessandro Florenzi replaced him on the left-hand side. His absence was felt, as you would expect.
The Frenchman is obviously a key player for the Rossoneri, having bagged four goals and nine assists in all competitions this season. Replacing him was never going to be easy and with that in mind, Florenzi certainly passed the test.
However, as MilanNews highlight, the absence of Hernandez didn’t just strip Milan of his qualities but also affected Rafael Leao. The Portuguese winger is used to having Hernandez running up and down the flank, effectively taking at least one defender with him.
Hernandez obviously has a lot of qualities on the ball as well, such as transporting the ball inside with great pace. Florenzi was never going to add the same quality, also because he’s very right-footed and the attack became a bit more predictable.
Furthermore, it was only the second time that Florenzi and Leao have played together on the left flank, which means chemistry was lacking slightly. Hernandez will be back for the next game and that will make a difference.
