1 week ago
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Rafael Leao has not looked like his usual self in recent weeks, and there are physical factors behind this.
As Tuttosport (via MilanNews) report this morning, Leao has accustomed Milan fans to his incredible acceleration and bursts of speed that have split opposing defence in two ever since he arrived at the club back in the 2019 summer window.
The premise is simple: when he gets going, no one can keep up with him, and his speed is certainly one of his strengths. Yet, he seems to be stuck in first gear, having been severely affected by a problem with his upper adductor muscle/pubalgia, which he hasn’t yet recovered from.
Playing with the handbrake on
This muscle strain has been plaguing him for weeks. Milan’s medical staff are managing it to prevent it from developing into a bad case of pubalgia (a hernia common in athletes), and yet he continues to play because Milan needs him right now.
It’s clear that Leao isn’t in top form. In particular, this physical issue isn’t allowing him to sprint as fast as he’d like, and so he’s struggling to make the difference like he has in the past. He even admitted before Sunday’s game that he is not at 100%.
Massimiliano Allegri continues to field him because he’s convinced that his quality can still be decisive, as was the case in Como with Adrien Rabiot’s first goal in the comeback win.
However, the calendar has come to Leao and Milan’s aid: after Sunday’s draw against Roma, the Rossoneri will have a break until February 3 when they play Bologna away, so Leao can do specific work to get rid of the inflammation.
After the trip to the Dall’Ara, the Rossoneri will not play on February 8th against Como due to the unavailability of San Siro for the Winter Olympics and will only return to the field on the weekend of February 15th in Pisa.
Therefore, Rafa will have a few more days to finally resolve this discomfort that is preventing him from performing as he would like. From there, Allegri hopes to have a big tactical weapon back at his best.
English (US) ·