There were smiles all round for the Rossoneri following Milan’s 3-2 victory over Torino. Allegri’s men saw his side bounce back immediately after the heavy defeat against Lazio, whilst Leao, watching from the stands, could finally smile after a difficult week in every respect. Rafa settled the matter with his friend Pulisic with a handshake but had to pull out of the final training session due to a flare-up of the adductor problem that has plagued him since the start of the season. What made him happy at the end of the match, captured on camera, were his teammates, with Fofana leading the way: the Frenchman’s surfer‑style celebration was dedicated specifically to his friend wearing the number 10 in the stands. The response on social media, complete with thanks, was certainly not long in coming.
Roberto Martinez, Portugal’s head coach, is counting on Rafael Leão ahead of the World Cup and would like to assess him in the warm‑up matches for the world’s biggest tournament. The Rossoneri’s number 10 was named yesterday in the squad for the double‑header against Mexico on 29 March and the United States on 1 April. However, the squad list was announced before Milan’s final training session, when the Rossoneri’s medical staff identified the former Lille player’s injury.
The one person who strongly disagrees with the idea of sending Leao off to Portugal is Max Allegri himself, who had this to say on television: “We spoke to Rafa and decided it was best for him to sit out today so that he has 20 days to recover,” said Allegri. “The national team? He’s absolutely not fit to play; he needs to do specific training to get back to 100 per cent.” A view he made even clearer in the post‑match press conference: “I believe he’ll be dropped from the squad; I believe they’ve already dropped him. He needs to rest. He deserves thanks for what he’s done so far.”
According to rumours circulating at the moment, the Portuguese Football Federation has stated that no decision has yet been made regarding Leão. The final announcement is expected to be made on Monday, once all the top‑flight fixtures have been played. Milan are confident that Leão will remain at Milanello to recover from his injury during the international break, but it cannot be ruled out that he may still join his teammates to be assessed by the Portuguese medical staff.
