GdS: Why Loftus-Cheek could be Conceicao’s ‘surprise’ against Napoli | OneFootball

Sergio Conceicao is currently working with the players not called up by their national teams, hoping to come up with a masterplan to beat Napoli.

This morning’s edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport (via MilanPress) recalls that Milan are the team that have provided the most players to their national teams, with 15 in total involved over the break. That means numbers are much lower at the training centre.

However, there are enough that have stayed behind for a practice game, and a friendly against Milan Futuro took place yesterday. Conceiçao will have entire weeks available to prepare for the challenge at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, but without many of his regulars.

In fact, Alessandro Florenzi, Matteo Gabbia, Alex Jimenez, Filippo Terracciano, Malick Thiaw, Fikayo Tomori, Warren Bondo, Youssouf Fofana, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Tammy Abraham and Riccardo Sottil have remained with him.

Taking advantage of the days of work with the coach, it could lead to some ‘surprises’ in terms of the team that faces Napoli. Above all this applies to Loftus-Cheek, a midfielder that Conceiçao has defined as one of a kind and a ‘monster’.

He has the physicality needed to support the midfield in a delicate phase of the season. Without having to travel for England duty, he has been able to train at his best to regain his condition. And looking towards Naples it is not out of the question that he might start.