Press conference - Fonseca: "Tomorrow, Okafor will play. Market? The club has done a great job with the signings so far"

AC Milan's head coach, Paulo Fonseca, has spoken to the media in a press conference ahead of Serie A matchday 2 against Parma away from home.

Here are his words:

How has the first full week with all the new players at Milanello gone? How is the integration with the team's core proceeding?

"The week went very well; they trained very well. We have players at different levels, as they didn’t all arrive at the same time. Some are close to their best physical condition, while others are farther away. It’s been a good week of work."

Who will replace Alvaro Morata, Noah Okafor or Luka Jovic?

"I have to be honest, tomorrow Okafor will play. It will be a different match. We want to have a different ability to play high compared to Saturday against Torino. Okafor responded well during the week, and the characteristics of the match suit his qualities. Noah will play tomorrow. Luka may be useful at another point in the match. Tomorrow I think it will be difficult, and we will need a higher and different pressing ability. That’s why Okafor will play."

How are Tijjani Reijnders, Theo Hernandez, Emerson Royal, and Youssouf Fofana doing?

"They are at different levels. Reijnders and Theo are close to their best physical condition, while Emerson and Fofana arrived later. Fofana trained alone for many days. They need more time."

What kind of match do you expect? Could Strahinja Pavlovic start?

"It could happen. Regarding the match, it’s clear that we need to be a different team compared to how we were in the first half against Torino. Milan cannot afford, against any team, to let them have a first phase of build-up like Torino had. That’s why I want a different team. I think we improved a lot in the second half. But we need to be consistent; we can’t just switch on for 5 minutes."

Will Francesco Camarda be with the team tomorrow?

"No, he won’t be with us. We are very attentive to the young players we have; they played in the preseason. But we have to understand that they are at different stages. Our young players have quality, and we need to choose the right moment to play them. We need to create the conditions for them to succeed; this is not the time to put that pressure on young players. That’s my opinion. They are working close to us, and when the opportunity and the right moment come, we will play them. This is not the right time to put that pressure on young players."

What kind of Milan do you expect tomorrow? Should Leao stay closer to the goal?

"Leao can do both. When the ball is on the opposite side, he needs to get closer to the goal. I think it’s important for Rafa to understand this. He has the chance to improve his numbers. As for the team, I think it’s time to understand what needs to be improved. I expect a difficult match against a very particular team that runs and fights a lot. If we don’t understand the type of match we will have tomorrow, it will be tough. Winning in Parma is not just a matter of playing, but also suffering and fighting. I think this is the kind of match where we need to increase our level of defensive aggression."

What have you not yet found in this team? Fonseca replied:

"I am never satisfied; teams are always unfinished products. I think we are at different stages: we had a very positive preseason with very positive matches. I also think we took a step back against Torino at some moments of the match. I want to always bring the team to the same level. We did very good things in the preseason, and one match doesn’t make us doubt what we have done. We need to follow our path with confidence, knowing that there is a lot of work to be done and a lot to improve. It takes time, but every day I am more and more confident in the team we have."

How is the management of Alvaro Morata and his injury?

"He has a small problem, nothing major. Before the match, he felt something, we did tests, and there was nothing. I was unsure whether to play him from the start or not, but I didn’t want to risk it. I took some precautions with Morata. He wanted to play, but with the medical department, we showed him that it was risky to play 90-60 minutes. He said he was fine and played 30 minutes. It’s a problem when players arrive late, and we need them to play. I think we managed these situations well, but there was this small issue."

Are the biggest dangers tomorrow the wingers?

"Yes. It’s a team with a strong identity. Very aggressive defensively and on the counterattack. The wingers are really very dangerous; we need to be careful when we lose the ball to prevent them from counterattacking. They are very combative; I have no doubt it will be difficult."

Do you expect anything else from the market?

"I think the club has done a great job with the signings so far. I think a team like Milan always has opportunities to improve; let’s see what happens. I have to say the club has done an excellent job with the players they have brought in."

Will there be any exclusions due to the market?

"I don’t know what will happen until the last day."

What changes between Emerson Royal and Davide Calabria?

"Emerson is a more offensive player, although in recent seasons he has played as a center-back at Tottenham. He is different from Calabria. He can play defensively but is more offensive."