TURIN, ITALY – OCTOBER 5: Federico Gatti of Juventus FC tackles Rafael Leao of AC Milan during the Serie A match between Juventus FC and AC Milan at Allianz Stadium on October 5, 2025 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Penicino/Getty Images)
Manager Massimiliano Allegri said Rafael Leao was in “good condition” but had heard “too much talk” about the Portuguese star.
Leo is scheduled to start tomorrow in his first Serie A game of the season, when Milan side take on Fiorentina at San Siro.
The Portuguese has recently recovered from a calf injury sustained in mid-August, but has only made two substitute appearances in the league this season.
“This week was a good week. He trained on Monday and then had a whole intensive training session. He needed to get back into good shape, but I think he is ready to be one of the main players again,” Allegri said in a press conference on Friday, via Milan News.
“But as much as we need him, we need everyone. Everyone must be ready to help their teammates. I’m glad he’s in good condition.”
Allegri tells Leo: ‘Performance on the pitch is the only thing that matters’
“He has exceptional technical quality, but I think he should also be allowed to express himself. The important thing is simple: the pitch. That’s where the performance is important,” continued Allegri.
“There’s too much talk about Leo. He’s a golden boy and wants to do well. Unfortunately, injuries stopped him. He’s finding acceptable form now and I think he’ll continue to do well. We’ll see at the end of his career. Over time, Rafa will be a true champion.”
Gazzetta reported that Leo missed two chances in the 0-0 draw against Juventus before the international break, and manager Allegri did not hide his dissatisfaction with the striker after the match. Today, the Rossoneri manager did not deny the incident.
“Nothing happened. It happens often. When you play in Turin and have a chance to take three points, you can’t celebrate after the final whistle,” he said.
“If you want to raise the level, you have to be angry after a game like that. If you want to achieve a specific goal, that applies to everyone in the whole environment. It wasn’t a game that we dominated, but it was a game that we could win and we should have won. You have to win the games you can win. You can’t lose the games you can’t win.”
Allegri confirmed that Christian Pulisic, Pervis Estupinan and Adrien Rabiot will miss the game against Fiorentina, while Cristofer Nkunku is doubtful and Alexis Saelemakers will be available.
Coach Allegri talks about squad selection for the match against Fiorentina
“I can’t make a decision until tomorrow morning. We have players like Atekame who can play on both wings and Pavlovic who can be a great left-back,” the Rossoneri manager said.
“It is important for the team to play as a team with humility, unity and respect for Fiorentina. If we can do that, we will have a great game.”
“Statistically, November and March are the most dangerous months[for injuries]but we need to find a solution. There is always a solution to everything. Football is evolving and becoming global. There is absolutely no going back.” I read an article that suggested changing it to 8pm (Central European Time) so the players could go to bed earlier. An extra three hours of rest could be a solution.
Allegri added: “It’s difficult to play and win every game. Fiorentina has great quality and attacking players who can score goals.”
“They are well-coached and well-organized. They don’t deserve the few points they have, they should get more points. That’s why we need to play very focused games, like the recent games, and improve in both phases. We have done some good things, but it is still a long time until May. We have to take small steps at a time. Tomorrow is definitely one of the steps we have to take.”
Former Milan manager Pioli won the Serie A title with the Rossoneri in the 2021-22 season. He is yet to win a single Serie A game with Fiorentina this season, with three draws and three defeats so far.
Allegri concluded: “I have a good relationship with Coach Pioli. He was the last manager to win the Scudetto with Milan and it’s never easy to win. I’m sure he’ll do a great job at Fiorentina.”
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