Leao to Be Benched Again Versus Slovan Bratislava | OneFootball

Barring a late change of heart, Rafael Leao will begin on the bench in Tuesday’s Champions League clash versus Slovan Bratislava. Noah Okafor will take his place in the XI. The Portuguese superstar was used as a sub thrice in a stretch of four matches in late October and early November, La Gazzetta dello Sport informed.

The attack roared back in the Real Madrid and Cagliari games but didn’t do much, like the rest of the frontline, versus Juventus. He’ll be the only mainstay excluded from the starting lineup due to a coach’s decision. Alvaro is unavailable due to yellow-card accumulation, while Emerson Royal is nursing an ankle contusion. Davide Calabria will get the nod.

Milan will look to exploit the comfortable match-up to make hay in the Champions League, as Slovan Bratislava lost in the four rounds. The Rossoneri righted the ship after two early losses and sit in 20th position. They defeated Udinese, Club Brugge, and lost to Napoli in the previous games with Leao not starting.

The winger was spotted limping while leaving San Siro following the Juventus game, but he trained fully afterward. Christian Pulisic is a full go after dealing with fatigue coming off international duties. The main doubt is who will form the starting duo in the back. Matteo Gabbia, Malick Thiaw, and Fikayo Tomori are competing for two spots.

Our Take on Leao, Fonseca, and Milan

They can’t stumble anymore in the UCL, but some load management is normal, and this is one of the easiest fixtures of their upcoming cycle. If anything, it’s odd that more centerpieces aren’t getting a breather.