Milan boss Paulo Fonseca restores faith in out-of-sorts Theo Hernandez | OneFootball

Milan manager Paulo Fonseca lauded Theo Hernandez’s contributions to the club and restored faith in him.

Speaking to the press (via Gianluca Di Marzio) on the eve of his side’s match against Verona, Paulo Fonseca praised Hernandez for being one of the most consistent performers of the team in the last couple of years despite the current bad patch of form. The Portuguese manager said: “Theo’s situation is easy to explain. He has played a lot, he has been in the national team, but he hasn’t found his best physical condition now, he needs to renew his condition to be well. Theo is a very important player for us, it is never a punishment but simply to get him back into the best condition we know how. For me, he is the best full-back in the world.”

The Frenchman’s standards have sharply dropped this season as he has failed to perform per expectations in his usual left-back role. While there has been some tension between the player and the manager, things are expected to be calm as soon as Hernandez returns to form.

Fonseca acknowledged the 27-year-old’s achievements with the side but he is set to bench him in the game versus Verona to give way to Alex Jimenez.

Apart from addressing the situation surrounding Hernandez, Fonseca ruled Alvaro Morata out of the clash as the Spaniard suffers from tonsillitis.

Trambak Bhattacherjee | GIFN