Rafael Leão is in doubt to feature for Milan in today’s EuroDerby involving Milan and Inter in the semi-finals of the Champions League.
The Portuguese star arrived for his fitness test earlier today and it will determine whether he will feature for the club or not, having picked up a thigh injury against Lazio and he left the game quite early.
But the ex-Lille man is quite vital for the Rossoneri and he has shown that in the Champions League, impressing against Tottenham and Napoli in the previous rounds. While he did endure a barren spell early on in 2023, he improved when it truly mattered for Milan.
This season, the winger has missed two Serie A games and Milan have lost both and he missed them due to suspension. He was of vital importance last season and in the three games where he wasn’t in the squad, Milan could win just once in the league. He had also missed a vital Champions League game against Liverpool at San Siro and the Rossoneri lost that game too.
That highlights his importance to Milan, who have preferred playing on the counter-attack so far in the knockout stages of the Champions League, leading to a heavy reliance on Leão’s pace and excellent ability to carry the ball forward. Without him, the Rossoneri could go a step closer to a loss.
Kaustubh Pandey | GIFN
