The Italian daily Turin-based newspaper, Tuttosport, confirmed the news widely reported about Rafael Leao skipping the Borussia Dortmund match in the Champions League competition.
Compared to to the initial predictions after the injury in Salento, however, the expected return to the field is seriously at risk of being delayed. At the start of his recovery process (he was at Milanello yesterday for therapy), the hope was to see the Milan number 10 back against Borussia Dortmund next Tuesday in what resembles a real playoff for advancing to the next round.
But it won't happen that way. Despite the player's maximum effort, there are technical timelines to respect to ensure the injury heals definitively without any lingering effects. That's why, optimistically, attention is now turning to the game against Frosinone on the calendar, but this will be clearer in the coming days.
Therefore, it wouldn't be surprising if Leao reappears in the group in the week leading up to the Saturday 9th match against Atalanta at 6 p.m.
No risks will be taken, as Rafa is acknowledged as the strongest player in the squad, and risking losing him for an extended period isn't even being considered.
This absence, which will be for at least three matches, will force Milan to bring out something more and new. Apart from Leao, Olivier Giroud will also be missing against Fiorentina and Frosinone, sidelined for two matches by the disciplinary committee after his expulsion in Lecce for disrespectful comments towards Abisso.
Stefano Pioli is already figuring out how to redesign his Milan, which will have to rely on a new lineup in attack to resume its journey in the league.
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