Rafael Leao was called up for AC Milan’s clash against Udinese, but he remained on the bench. As highlighted by a report, it’s the first time that he hasn’t come on since December 2021, which says a lot about Paulo Fonseca’s decision.
There is no doubt that Leao has been a crucial player for Milan in recent years. Inconsistencies or not, he has found ways to make a difference and that is also why he has been getting a lot of playing time. Yesterday, however, shed a different light on the situation.
According to MilanNews, Leao remained on the bench for an entire game for the first time since December 2021. On that occasion, Milan prevailed 3-0 against Genoa thanks to goals from Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Junior Messias (brace).
While Fonseca made it clear in his post-match conference that the exclusion was for the good of the team, it’s not just a signal to Leao. Indeed, it tells everyone that the manager will field the players in the best form, rather than favouring stars simply for being the latter.
At the end of the day, this should also boost morale among players that don’t always get to play from start, knowing that there is a chance if you do well in training. Furthermore, it keeps the Rossoneri from overworking players like Leao, which hopefully should help too.