Rafael Leao has been forced to withdraw from the Milan-Torino squad due to injury, and as highlighted by a report this morning, that will open the door for Niclas Füllkrug.
As Gazzetta dello Sport (see photo at the bottom) starts, it will be the second start for the German international since joining the club in January. Coincidentally, he will also look for his second goal after only scoring against Lecce so far (even if that gave Milan the win).
For Massimiliano Allegri, Champions League qualification remains the priority but with a massive crowd expected at San Siro (as always), a win will also be needed to keep the Scudetto flame alive. In order to succeed, a hand from the forwards will be needed.
Indeed, in the 13 games played in 2026, Milan’s forwards have only managed to find the back of the net eight times. This obviously isn’t good enough…
Important tests await Leao
If Leao had been fully fit, then we most likely wouldn’t have been talking about a change in attack. However, the adductor problem is back and forced the No.10 to sit out yesterday’s training session (which was after Allegri’s presser)
Coincidentally, it’s the same injury Leao sustained in the reverse fixture against Torino: he left the pitch after 30 minutes and only returned on January 2nd in Cagliari. Today, he will undergo tests to determine whether he has muscle damage to his adductor or if it’s the same issue as before.
In any case, this is also bad news for Portugal, who called him up for the two friendlies against Mexico and the United States. It’s unlikely that he will be available for Roberto Martinez now, but he will probably travel anyway to be assessed by Portugal’s medical team too.
Timing-wise, it’s not great for Milan either as the game against Napoli is around the corner (April 6), not to mention that it’s been a heated week for the player after the incident with Christian Pulisic.
Big chance for Füllkrug
Today’s starting striker, as such, will be Füllkrug and you could argue that he’s more comfortable in the striker role than Leao. He won’t roam around as much, instead offering more of a focal point in the heart of the attack.
The hope is to get at least one contribution, either a goal or an assist, as there has been far too little end product from the German in recent weeks. This is a big opportunity in that sense as the 33-year-old has only been getting cameos off the bench, which is never that easy.
Another thing worth mentioning is that Christopher Nkunku will be ready on the bench, so just because he’s playing from start, Füllkrug won’t necessarily be given all of the chances in the world tonight.
Gazzetta on Leao and Fullkrug