Ahead of Monza - Milan, Paulo Fonseca stays true to his approach and doesn't make changes.
According to Peppe Di Stefano, reporting live on Sky Sport Italia, Rafael Leao is expected to sit on the bench, with Noah Okafor once again taking his place. In defence, the Thiaw-Pavlovic duo is set to continue, leaving Tomori on the bench again. These are strong, significant choices. Additionally, Filippo Terracciano is likely to start on the right, with both Davide Calabria and Emerson Royal on the bench.
If the lineup goes as expected, this will be the second consecutive game in which Fikayo Tomori and Rafael Leao start from the bench.
For many Milan fans and analysts, this may appear to be a disciplinary decision by Paulo Fonseca, following the game against Fiorentina, the cooling break incident against Lazio, and more. But is this really the case? There are a few factors to consider. Both Fikayo Tomori and Rafael Leao have had a shaky start to the season, with errors and performances below expectations and their usual standards.
As for the English defender, Strahinja Pavlovic and Malick Thiaw offer a different type of defence: more physical but not as fast. Fonseca may also be tailoring his choices to the opponent; he fielded this pairing against the highly physical Lukaku and may do the same against Djuric, Monza’s strong aerial threat. The same reasoning could apply to Leao: against Napoli, Okafor provided defensive support to Terracciano against Politano, something the Portuguese player often does not do. Then, there’s the Champions League on Tuesday: against Real Madrid, both Tomori and Leao might return to the starting lineup, well-rested for a crucial, historic game. For both players, regaining their starting spots might require only a solid defensive play, a goal, or an assist.
Can these truly be called cases for Milan?
Certainly, another exclusion raises questions and naturally stirs up debate, especially since the Rossoneri's numbers drop without Leao. Of 85 total games, Rafael Leao started 63, while in only 22 did he either not play or come on as a substitute. In the 63 games with Leao starting, the team averaged 2.048 points per game. Without him in the starting lineup, this drops to 1.318 points per game. The team has won only 8 of the 22 games without Leao starting. The hope is clear: that Leao and Fonseca get on the same page. Milan needs the best version of Rafa.
Source: Pianeta Milan
