As highlighted yesterday by Fonseca, Milan needs "leadership" in the locker room.
Alvaro Morata, in this regard, has made an immediate impact at the locker room level. His words right after Milan-Torino, where he urged everyone to change their mindset, were a clear warning to the rest of the Rossoneri squad, echoing what both Sandro Tonali and Simon Kjaer had already stated multiple times in the post-Scudetto years.
The former Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, Juventus, and Chelsea striker followed that path, taking responsibility both publicly and inside the Milanello locker room, trying to lead by example on the pitch, showing what it means to be a "Milan player."
Fonseca knows he can rely on Alvaro Morata in this area as well, but he wants more leaders both on and off the field.
Among the names that should stand alongside the Spanish champion as leaders is surely Mike Maignan, who, after being in contention for the captain’s armband with France, is also a candidate for Milan’s captaincy in tonight’s match. He and Fikayo Tomori would share the captaincy if the Englishman starts, though Fonseca might bench him in favour of Strahinja Pavlovic.
Morata, for his part, doesn’t necessarily need the armband to be a reference point for the team, but Milan needs not only his attitude but also, most importantly, his goals.
So far, both goals he has scored have come at San Siro—one against Torino and one against Lecce.
Fonseca and the fans hope that tonight this even distribution might either shift or be further balanced out with multiple goals.
This is a crucial moment for Milan, and Morata could be one of the men who will help the team navigate through the turbulence.
