Rafael Leao heading for his third consecutive Milan bench in Serie A | OneFootball

Milan star Rafael Leao could start from the bench for the third consecutive Serie A game as coach Paulo Fonseca is reportedly considering picking Noah Okafor over him again in their clash against Monza on Saturday.

Leao was not included in the Rossoneri’s starting XI against Udinese, when he remained on the bench for 90 minutes, and Napoli, as he only came on in the second half.

Also, he was subbed off during his side’s Champions League 3-1 win over Club Brugge when the two sides were still level, and saw his substitute Noah Okafor make an immediate impact by delivering an assist to Tijjani Reijnders while the Portuguese was still walking behind the goal after leaving the pitch.

Milan: Leao bound to start from the bench again at Monza

Despite his recent decision to bench Milan’s biggest star sparked a debate, also drawing some criticism, Fonseca won’t budge as he is ready to exclude Leao from the Rossoneri starting line-up once again.

As reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport, Milan’s number 10 wasn’t in the team including the players who should start against Monza in a training session on Friday, with Okafor fielded in his position instead.

Tammy Abraham and Rafael Leao Milan celebrate (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Asked about Leao’s absence with Napoli, Fonseca told reporters he doesn’t have to ‘beg’ players, although he insisted it was just a ‘coach’s decision’.

However, the tense relationship between the manager and some of the most relevant players in the locker room is one of the reasons why Fonseca is currently under scrutiny, as the club reportedly told him their trust is not unlimited.