AC Milan coach reveals why Super Eagles winger with more career goals than assists started over Leao

AC Milan manager Paulo Fonseca provided insight into his decision to start Nigeria national teamer Samuel Chukwueze over Portuguese star Rafael Leao in Saturday's 1-0 victory against Udinese.

Chukwueze not only started the match but also scored the game's only goal, showcasing his talent and earning the Man of the Match award.

In the 13th minute, Chukwueze opened the scoring with a skillful low curling shot into the far corner, set up by Christian Pulisic.

And in doing so, the Super Eagles winger took his goal involvements as a professional to 81 (45 goals, 36 assists) from 269 appearances combined for AC Milan and Villarreal teams. 

He was substituted in the 88th minute for Fikayo Tomori as AC Milan worked to secure the victory.

He played a crucial role in securing the win for AC Milan, who now sit fourth in the Serie A standings with 14 points from eight matches.

Following the match, Fonseca emphasized that the choice was tactical and not related to any locker room dynamics, countering speculation.

"Today I decided to let Okafor and Chukwueze play, maybe tomorrow it will be Leao’s turn," he was quoted as saying by Milan News.

“Let’s not create a case, because it doesn’t exist. Leao was respectful, satisfied in the locker room, and this is the most important thing for me.”

The coach also revealed that Leao had recently dealt with an injury, causing him to miss training on Thursday.

“Leao didn’t train on Thursday, he had a little discomfort in his flexor; he only trained yesterday. And so I decided to let Okafor and Chukwueze play, who played very, very well," Fonseca added.

Chukwueze has struggled to adapt to life in Italy since joining from Villarreal in the summer of 2023.

The 2015 Fifa U17 World Cup winner has made three starts from a possible ten in all competitions so far this season. 

Adeyemi Adewale

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