Milan coach Stefano Pioli admits there’s a chance Rafael Leao can play against Inter on Wednesday but ‘if he can’t start, he won’t even go on the bench.’
The Portuguese winger suffered a muscle injury during a 2-0 win over Lazio on Saturday. He hadn’t trained on Monday but was seen on the pitch during Milan’s training session on Tuesday morning although he didn’t join the rest of the team and continued working on an individual programme.
Milan boss Pioli spoke to Sky Sport Italia ahead of his pre-match press conference on Tuesday saying that Leao could be available against the Nerazzurri but if he “can’t start, he won’t even go on the bench.”
Milan will train again on Wednesday morning, which is when Pioli will make a final decision on his star’s availability.
“Leao will continue to push tomorrow morning, if he feels well, he’ll play,” continued Pioli. “It’s still all open.”
During his pre-match press conference, Inter boss Simone Inzaghi shared his view on Leao and what it would mean for Inter not to face the Portuguese in the first leg of the Champions League semis on Wednesday:
“We all know the qualities of the player. We know that he may or may not be there, clearly we will take some precautions but ultimately it will not change our game plan,” said the Nerazzurri boss.
“I’m not certain like you (that Leao won’t be involved), I’ve said it before. We know him, we know his qualities, and in these games every player who is called upon will give everything.”
Leao has scored 13 goals in 44 appearances across all competitions with Milan this season, including one in 10 Champions League matches.