AC Milan’s manager Paulo Fonseca has confirmed the return of key players Rafael Leao and Theo Hernandez for their upcoming Champions League clash against Club Brugge. Both players, who missed the weekend’s Serie A match, are expected to start the game on Tuesday at San Siro, a crucial tie for the Rossoneri as they seek to improve their fortunes in the competition.
Hernandez was sidelined during Milan’s 1-0 win over Udinese due to a suspension he received following a red card in their previous Serie A loss to Fiorentina. Meanwhile, Leao, usually a regular starter, was surprisingly benched in the same fixture. Fonseca, unhappy with the Fiorentina defeat, decided to make changes, but now both players are back in the starting lineup. “They will start tomorrow from the first minute,” Fonseca told reporters in a pre-match briefing. “I expect them, as I expect from all players, to give their best and help Milan win. It’s a natural situation for them, and they are ready.”
While Leao and Hernandez are set to feature, Samuel Chukwueze, who scored the decisive goal against Udinese, will likely begin the match on the bench. Fonseca made a rare move by revealing his starting XI for the Brugge fixture ahead of time, sharing that Mike Maignan, Emerson Royal, Matteo Gabbia, Fikayo Tomori, Hernandez, Youssouf Fofana, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Tijani Reijnders, Leao, Christian Pulisic, and Alvaro Morata would be his starting choices.
Milan’s start to the Champions League campaign has been difficult, facing defeats against both Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen in their opening games. Fonseca acknowledged the challenges his side has faced, stating, “We started against two of Europe’s strongest teams. Both matches were different in nature—struggles against Liverpool and more positive play, especially in the second half, against Leverkusen. We didn’t win, but we’re showing signs of improvement.”
Fonseca emphasized the importance of winning this match against Brugge, though he stopped short of calling it a must-win. “It’s not decisive, but it’s vital. If we want to continue in this competition, we need to secure a win.”
Milan is also contending with a lack of striking options. Tammy Abraham, who entered as a substitute in the Udinese game, left the field injured shortly after, leaving the team further depleted up front. Luka Jovic, another forward, has not been included in the squad for this round of the competition. In response, Fonseca has called up youth player Francesco Camarda, a promising talent from the academy. If Camarda, just 16 years and 226 days old, were to score in the match, he would make history as the youngest scorer in Champions League history.
Fonseca addressed the striker situation, acknowledging the unusual predicament. “It’s not normal to have both Abraham and Jovic unavailable, but we always find solutions. We’ve brought in Camarda, who is a player we believe in very much.”
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