Will Rafael Leao play for AC Milan against Inter in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final? Stefano Pioli provides update
AC Milan manager Stefano Pioli has indicated that star forward Rafael Leao will be fit in time for his side's derby against Inter Milan.
The two Italian heavyweights are set to clash in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League semifinal clash on Tuesday, May 16. Inter lead the tie 2-0 after the first leg thanks to early strikes from Edin Dzeko and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Leao missed that game at the San Siro, the venue for the second leg as well, due to a muscle injury. The Rossoneri's attack clearly suffered without the Portuguese forward, recording just two shots on target from 13 attempts in a disjointed display.
Pioli's update, however, is bound to cheer up AC Milan fans. The Italian tactician said during a pre-match press conference (as quoted by GOAL):
“He’s [Rafael Leao] better. [Rade] Krunic and [Junior] Messias are too. If everything goes as it should, they’ll be available for training later and for tomorrow.”
Krunic missed the first leg against Inter, while Messias came on as a substitute. The latter, however, was absent from the matchday squad for Milan's 2-0 home defeat to 17th-placed Spezia Calcio in Serie A over the weekend.
Pioli further indicated that his side are no longer focused on their loss against Spezia and instead want to spring a surprise on Inter Milan. He said (as quoted by the Evening Standard):
“It's not easy to prepare for tomorrow. But we have an important goal: to win the match and to qualify for the final, which nobody would ever predict. Nobody still thinks that Milan can reach the final. I know we can play a great match.”
While the Rossoneri enter this match after a defeat, the Nerazzurri beat Sassuolo 4-2 in Serie A over the weekend courtesy of Romelu Lukaku's brace.
Rafael Leao has arguably been AC Milan's best player this season
Rafael Leao has enjoyed an excellent season for AC Milan this term. The forward, 23, has recorded 13 goals and 13 assists in 44 matches across all competitions.
His UEFA Champions League record has been solid as he has contributed a goal and five assists in 10 appearances. Additionally, Leao has averaged 1.7 key passes, 3.7 successful dribbles and 6.3 successful duels per game.
The Portugal international has missed only three games all season for Milan, including the first leg of their Champions League tie against Inter Milan. The Rossoneri have lost all of those matches. In fact, they are yet to lose a game across competitions this season when he has scored or assisted.
All of this points to the importance Rafael Leao holds to Stefano Pioli's side as they look to overturn a 2-0 deficit against Inter on Tuesday.