GdS: The ‘Leao dilemma’ Fonseca faces – will he start in Milan-Brugge | OneFootball

Rafael Leao was an unused substitute when AC Milan hosted Udinese, and there have been questions about whether Paulo Fonseca will bring him back into the squad on Tuesday night.

Leao has been an interesting topic this season, with him struggling to perform to his best level, and the limelight has often been on him for reasons other than positive performances – which has been the growing case for the past year.

However, his quality is undeniable, and whilst Fonseca opted to leave him on the bench against Udinese, he knows that this cannot become a theme for Milan. Nevertheless, he has sent a message to the winger that he is not untouchable.

From this, Fonseca hopes for better performances, and Gazzetta dello Sport calls the relationship a ‘chess match’. On Saturday, his team and Leao’s replacement showed fight, effort, and sacrifice, which the winger needs to show more of.

The report continues suggesting that there is a dilemma facing the head coach – does he start Leao from the first minute? Doing so would allow the forward to show he is centred and ready to help the team.

Alternatively, the head coach could look to reward Saturday’s performers with another start, which has been rare.

Fonseca stated that he needed Leao after the game this weekend, which suggests he wants him present from the first minute. If this is to be the case, the No.10 must show his value throughout the game, not just in spells.