Fonseca discusses Milan’s attitude, Theo and Leao’s involvement and Gabbia’s condition | OneFootball

Ahead of AC Milan’s pivotal Champions League clash against Club Brugge, Paulo Fonseca spoke to the media about the situation with Rafael Leao and Theo Hernandez, whilst also discussing what he expects from the team.

There can be no other way of viewing Tuesday’s fixture at San Siro. A win is a must, and failing to do so hammers a nail into Milan’s European hopes. For this reason, Fonseca’s side must be at their best, and there is a strong chance that he will bring Theo Hernandez and Rafael Leao back into the squad.

Getting themselves back into a favourable position in the new league format is not impossible, but it requires a near-perfect five games (six if we include the Real Madrid clash). This, perhaps, is where the new format can help the Rossoneri, but they must look to help themselves before they look to the format for assistance.

Speaking to the press before the clash, Fonseca addressed his expectations for his squad, and his words have been relayed by Milan News.

All experiences are part of the growth of a team, both good and bad. Do you see in the team the confidence to start tomorrow on the right path in the Champions League?

“That’s what we want. It’s a different competition, which we started against two of the strongest teams in Europe at the moment. They were two different games: difficulty with Liverpool, quality with Leverkusen, especially in the second half. We didn’t win but we showed signs of growth.

“Tomorrow is difficult, Brugge are playing very well. We have to keep growing in this competition and we want to win if we want to have a chance to continue. It’s not decisive but it’s important, we have to win.”

How important is it to recover two players like Leao and Theo? Will they be there tomorrow? Have they understood things?

“They will play tomorrow from the first minute. I expect from them what I expect from everyone: that they give their best to make Milan win. It’s a normal situation, even for them. And they will play tomorrow.”

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In the evolution of the team, the manifest match is the derby where everything went almost perfectly, while against Udinese there was suffering and sacrifice. How close are the team to the dominant footballing idea?

“It’s a big change. I feel we are slowly getting to things that I think will be important for the team. The first 30 minutes with Udinese we saw many important and beautiful things. I expected to have more continuity, but with Tijji’s red it was difficult, although there were other important things.

“A team is not only formed by what we do tactically, the attitude and the growth of the group is also important. In the future, I hope this attitude can be the norm, and with this attitude, we can build other things. This attitude must be the norm, then we can grow, and in my opinion, we are growing, in other things as well.”

Now there is the hot phase of the season, with seven games in 21 days. Never before has it been so important to have a deep squad. Tomorrow in attack you will not have Jovic and Abraham but only Morata and Camarda. The squad is a bit short going forward, in January do you expect shots in attack?

“I am very satisfied with the players I have. This is not a normal situation to have Abraham and Jovic out. Normally we always have solutions, plus we have Camarda, in whom we believe a lot. I don’t think we need any more players in this position.”

How is Gabbia? Do you plan to do some rotation tomorrow or is continuity needed?

“Gabbia tried out today in training, he will play tomorrow. Now it’s important to have all the players available to do some rotating, now there are many games and we need everyone. I believe in all the players, I think everyone can be important right now.”

The important message coming from the win against Udinese is that everyone is important…

“Yes. I think we can talk about Chukwueze and Okafor, they are quality players. They need confidence, and I think they played with confidence and well. It is very good for a coach to have players at the same level and then choose according to the game.

“I was very satisfied because those who played told me and everyone that we can count on them. It is my greatest satisfaction to have this chance because the players are ready.”

Are Fofana and Morata leaders?

“It’s difficult to talk about one or another when all the players have worked so hard and together. Fofana, and Pulisic, they had great games but all the players were very important, even those who came in. The feeling they give to the team is important, I think they have all been at a very good level. It must be the normality of how Milan play.”

What is Milan’s objective in this Champions League?

“I don’t think much about the long-term future. We didn’t win the first two, we have to think about the next one. Tomorrow we don’t have to draw big conclusions for the future but simply win the next one. Now we have many matches, we have to think match by match.”

The captain’s armband went to Maignan after he didn’t get the armband with France…

“My choice has no connection with what happened with the national team. My choice has been made for a long time, I spoke to Mike: he is one of the leaders of the group. He had the chance to have the armband, he is one of the players I mentioned to add to the leaders to lead the team.”

How have the team looked in the last few days?

“The team has always trained well. Now it’s difficult to evaluate, we can’t train that much. I have positive feelings again, I feel the team is well and confident.”

Milan are among the teams that commit the least fouls in Italy and in Europe, but the most carded. How do you explain this?

“As a coach, I can’t say that my players foul [laughs]. I always have to defend the game, the football, we have to play. However, they know what we have been talking about these days. We are a bit ‘holy’, we have to be more what we are: devils.

“We must also improve in this, and for me to improve is to make the fouls that need to be made. Obviously, without violence, it’s not nice. But we have to be smart.”

Will Theo be captain tomorrow?

“I haven’t decided, I have to think about it today. Theo is a possibility. He’s fine, he trained well these days, even today. He’s fine, Theo is a very experienced player and he’s fine.”

How do you keep the level of grit and intensity as high as it was on Saturday?

“There is a lot of talk and it seems to me that this is not a problem today. I have to figure out what to do to make the team improve on attitudes, mentality, desire. That’s what I’m doing, I’m more demanding about that.”

On the position of Reijnders and Fofana…

“I said that because to see Tijji next to Fofana we don’t enhance Reijnders’ main characteristics. At certain times we can see him as a number 6, but if we are forward we look at him as a trequartista. In this structure he has the possibility to do both, it depends on the area: he does both positions.”

Photo by Giuseppe Cottini/AC Milan via Getty Images

On Brugge…

“They’re a team with great attacking quality. If we look at the game they lost against Dortmund they dominated and created a lot. It’s important to defend well, not a lot, but well. They are a team with great quality offensively and on the outside, as well as in the middle.

“I think we have to be very focused on the defensive phase, we must not let them attack because they are very dangerous. With Dortmund they lost but they created a lot. Like the derby? No, it’s different. The competition is different, as are the characteristics of the opponents.”

Pavlovic’s performance against Udinese. How did you see it?

“Do you want to know if he plays with Gabbia tomorrow? (laughs). No, he won’t play. This is a different reality for Pavlovic, it’s a different way of playing than he had at his last club. I think in the first few games Pavlovic did things well and other things he has to improve defensively.

“We have been working during this time, I think he has grown in this match [against Udinese]. He was balanced, he is someone who always wants to go forward, he is physical. We want a more balanced central defender.

“I think he did better, but I also think he needs to grow: he didn’t play a game without mistakes, but he did well. If we make a comparison with his other games, he has grown a lot. But there are still things to improve.”

Will Chukwueze play tomorrow?

“I’ll tell you tomorrow’s team directly (laughs). Maignan, Emerson, Gabbia, Tomori, Theo, Fofana, Loftus, Reijnders, Leao, Pulisic and Morata.”

The situation that led to Reijnders’ red is a repeat offence…

“We showed the players the situation. One of the things we have grown the most in is the defensive phase: the team is compact, and it occupies space rationally. But it wasn’t easy to change that because they always had individual references, and that’s not a criticism of the past.

“In the action of Tijji’s red there was a change between Reijnders and Terracciano that was planned, Pavlovic should not be drawn to the striker when there is so much space behind. If the striker gets the ball there what is the problem? We must not be attracted at these moments. We talked about it, they understood. These things happen but we have to learn.”

On the definition of box-to-box…

“Everyone in football today has to be able to both attack and defend. Son, Tottenham’s winger, is a box-to-box. One associates box-to-box with central areas, but they are all box-to-box.”