Racing toward a starting spot, Leao began his personal preparation for the match against Fiorentina yesterday afternoon. For Rafa, it is more of a chase. He hit the ground running after returning from Portugal, showed up at Milanello (only he and the young Cheveyo Balentien were there), and looked particularly focused. His mood fluctuates, but Rafa knows he must prove consistency on the pitch.
The plan agreed with the Portuguese national team, given his early-season muscle problems, was for him to be available for the first match against Ireland, then return early to Milan, leaving his teammates to face Hungary and secure World Cup qualification. Leao agreed to that, and now he is pushing to regain his place at Milan. Yesterday he followed a personalized training program. Today he will meet Allegri again and join the group, or at least those already at the training center.
The Fiorentina game will reveal a lot, about the team’s ability to reorganize after the break, how quickly they can study the opponent, and how the attacking hierarchy stands. The real answers will come at the end of the week when all internationals return, but the main question is clear:
will Leao start or remain the man for the final thirty minutes?
The arrangement with Portugal satisfied everyone. The national team checked his fitness firsthand, and Milan got him back as early as Monday. Since the start of the season, that has happened only once. After his injury in the Coppa Italia opener in mid-August, Leao had to stop for a month and a half. When he returned to San Siro on September 28 against Napoli, his availability had been debated all week and confirmed only on Friday, two days before the match, when he rejoined full training. He played twenty-one minutes against Conte’s side, as pointed out by La Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper in this morning's print edition.
In the following week, preparing for Juventus, Leao trained regularly but started on the bench due to poor form. His performance after coming on was disappointing, missing two chances more from laziness than inaccuracy. Allegri’s anger and the dressing-room confrontation at the Stadium followed.
Today, Max and Rafa Leao meet again, with new awareness and improved physical condition. After a full week of training, Leao is close to full fitness. If everything goes as planned, he will be ready to start. In theory. In practice, the spot must be earned. His early start gives him an advantage, since he trained before the others, practiced anti-Fiorentina tactics ahead of his teammates, and has more time to convince Max.
Pulisic and Gimenez will return only on Friday after their international games, with Christian’s ankle still to be assessed. Nkunku is expected Wednesday, after scoring a brilliant goal for France yesterday. So far, the first two have been the preferred starters, Pulisic for quality, Santi for work rate. These are Leao’s direct rivals. Against Pulisic, it is a contest of talent, and Rafa could have the edge in physical condition. Against Gimenez, it is about who helps the team more, and here Rafa must show he has learned.
For the first time in years, there is real competition in attack. Nkunku is also a threat, an adaptable attacking option. The fitness excuse no longer holds. For Rafa, it is now all or nothing. If he starts in Serie A for the first time this season, he will have restored his place in the hierarchy. If he is left out, it might be (for the first time) a technical choice.
