Leao poised for Real Madrid start to regain Fonseca’s trust | OneFootball

Rafael Leao could eventually get a chance to redeem himself in the eyes of coach Paulo Fonseca, who’s reportedly willing to start the Milan star against Real Madrid in the Champions League.

The Portuguese forward was benched for three consecutive Serie A games, and he failed to make an impact when he came on in his side’s last two outings against Napoli and Monza.

Fonseca hopes that giving Leao the opportunity to make a difference on an illustrious stage such as the Santiago Bernabeu can motivate him to be back to his scintillating best, something that Milan would desperately benefit from both on the pitch and to avoid his devaluation in case of a potential departure in the future.

Leao could be back in Milan’s starting XI against Real Madrid

Milan face a crucial Champions League fixture away to Real Madrid on Tuesday, and coach Paulo Fonseca is considering including Rafa Leao in his side’s starting XI after benching him for three Serie A games in a row.

Leao last started a match for the Rossoneri during their 3-1 win over Club Brugge on 22 October, which also marked the first and only victory so far in their European campaign. However, the two teams were still drawing level 1-1 when the Portuguese striker was replaced by Noah Okafor, who made an immediate impact by assisting Tijjani Reijnders’ goal which put Milan ahead.

MONZA, ITALY – NOVEMBER 02: Rafael Leao of AC Milan looks on before the Serie A match between AC Monza and AC Milan at U-Power Stadium on November 02, 2024 in Monza, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

The Rossoneri start didn’t start any of his side’s following games but, according to Tuttomercatoweb, Fonseca seems willing to ‘recover’ Leao by giving him a chance to shine at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The way the former Roma manager is handling the Leao situation is splitting the fanbase, also sparking debates within the club, as some Italian sports outlets suggested the value of the player could quickly decrease if Fonseca continues to keep him on the bench, causing Milan an economic damage in case they want to put him for sale in the next future.

New Rossoneri signing Alvaro Morata recently defined Leao as Milan’s ‘best player’ in an interview with The Athletic.