Tuttosport: Morata aims to end two-month ‘hibernation’ vs. Empoli as pressure mounts | OneFootball

Alvaro Morata has gone too long without a goal in Serie A, and Paulo Fonseca hopes a start against Empoli could be the right medicine.

As Tuttosport (via MilanNews) report this morning, Morata is not limited to playing simply the role of being a traditional centre-forward under Fonseca. The Spaniard links the attack and midfield together, just as the Portuguese wants, and often finds himself outside the box due to his work rate.

In 13 appearances for the season, Morata has three goals and two assists. These are not disastrous numbers like Divock Origi’s were, for example, but also not enough for someone that the starting striker spot was entrusted to.

For comparison, Olivier Giroud had eight goals at the same stage last season. However, after missing Tuesday’s away match against Slovan Bratislava due to suspension, Morata will return to the starting line-up versus Empoli and will begin his catch-up mission.

The 32-year-old has had a domestic goal drought that has gone on for two months, given that his last strike in Serie A dates back to September 27, when he opened the scoring with a header from a free-kick in the 3-0 win over Lecce.

Morata therefore needs to get going, not only for personal reasons but also for Milan. Speaking about the Scudetto has seemed like a utopia for weeks, but now the issue is that the top four places are getting further away too.