Rafael Leao nearing injury return for crucial UCL clash against Newcastle

Rafael Leao has seven goal contributions this season

AC Milan have a lot of injury concerns this season. Their biggest concern is the injury to their Portuguese star Rafael Leao.

The Portuguese has been missing since late November with a hamstring injury but was due to return to the squad on Saturday evening. However, with doubts still hanging over his fitness, Leao was left in Milan while his teammates made the short trip to Bergamo.

Leao is not a part of Milan’s squad that travelled to face Atalanta. This is the fifth straight match in which the 24-year-old won’t feature.

The suggestion in Italy is that the wide man has simply not been risked ahead of the trip to Tyneside on Wednesday night, but that still represents a headache for boss Stefano Pioli, who will no doubt have hoped to get minutes into his legs before their final Champions League group game.

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Sky Sports in Italy confirmed on X: “For Milan, Leao did not leave for Bergamo. However, the Portuguese is better and will go to Newcastle.”

One of the reasons why AC Milan are allowing their star man to rest is because they play Newcastle United in the UEFA Champions League. This is a crucial fixture for the Italian side as they sit at the bottom of the table and a win is a must to ensure European football. If Milan wins and PSG loses then the Rossoneri will qualify for the round of 16.

Rafael Leao has been a sensation since joining the club in 2019. He led his side to a Serie A title and is the main player in their attack. The team will hope that Leao returns to fitness and prove to be the difference-maker against the Magpies.

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