Fofana ‘improving every day’ as Fonseca highlights importance: “Engine of the team” | OneFootball

Youssouf Fofana was one of the best players in AC Milan’s 1-0 defeat against Bayer Leverkusen earlier this week, showcasing fantastic growth. During today’s press conference, Paulo Fonseca added to the discussion and praised the midfielder.

Fofana arrived late in the summer and thus didn’t have a full pre-season with the team, which was evident in the first few games. Now, however, the performances are much better and he got a high score in our player ratings against Leverkusen.

When asked about Fofana during today’s press conference, on the eve of the Fiorentina clash, Fonseca highlighted the midfielder’s importance as well as the acclimatisation period that was needed. As he improves, the team will improve.

Fofana is growing. Is he already irreplaceable?

“He is very important for us, he’s improving every day. I think there was a period of adaptation, Ligue 1 is different from Serie A and here he has a different role. This adaptation took time. For me, this player in this structure is the most important player. As Fofana improves, the team improves. These players who play in these positions are the engine of the team, if they work well then the team has a better chance of playing well.”

Fofana will play from start against Fiorentina tomorrow and he will partner up with Tijjani Reijnders, as usual. The Dutchman is certainly more attacking-minded, while the Frenchman has even dropped down in defence to form a back three in recent games.