Leao benched as Milan bets on attack against Verona
27 December 2025
Leao benched as Milan seeks rebound against Verona
Massimiliano Allegri, Milan's coach, has decided to exclude Rafael Leao from Sunday's Serie A clash with Hellas Verona, the 16th round fixture.
Milan hope to return to winning ways when they face Verona, trying to move past last week's 2-0 defeat to Napoli in the Italian Super Cup semifinal.
Leao sat out the Super Cup due to an injury sustained in the December win over Torino (3-2).
Although Milan hoped Leao would be fit, Allegri confirmed he will not feature in Verona.
At the Saturday press conference, Allegri said the attack has the quality to deliver a good performance and Leao will not play tomorrow nor be called.
He added that Leao is suffering from pain that prevents him from starting at full speed, and keeping him at home was best because unfit players do not help the team.
Milan are also hampered up front by the absence of Mexican Santiago Gimenez, also sidelined by injury, which pushed the club to seal a deal for Niclas Vollkroj from West Ham United. However, Vollkroj will not be eligible to play until the transfer is officially completed when the window opens on January 2.
The preview notes that Milan's attack is strained as Verona visit in Serie A on December 28, 2025.
Punchline 1: If speed is life, Leao forgot to download the latest update.
Punchline 2: Milan benching him to fuel drama for January's window — tactical suspense with a dash of optimism.
