Conceiçao ‘very direct’ with Leao and Loftus-Cheek ‘is a beast’

LECCE, ITALY – MARCH 08: Santiago Pierotti of Lecce competes for the ball with Rafael Leao of Milan during the Serie A match between Lecce and AC Milan at Stadio Via del Mare on March 08, 2025 in Lecce, Italy. (Photo by Maurizio Lagana/Getty Images)

Milan coach Sergio Conceiçao says he’s ‘very direct’ with Rafael Leao and welcomes back Ruben Loftus-Cheek: ‘Physically, he’s a beast.’

The Rossoneri host Como at San Siro on Saturday in a must-win Serie A match.

Conceiçao held a pre-match press conference on Friday, discussing his future at the club and his work with the team on the pitch.

Leao started the last game against Lecce on the bench but played a key role in Milan’s 3-2 win, providing one assist.

The Portuguese winger has managed one goal contribution every 52 minutes when he is introduced as a substitute, but will he start tomorrow?

“You’re trying to bring up this topic in a clever way,” Conceiçao replied.

Conceiçao ‘very direct’ with Leao and Loftus-Cheek ‘is a beast’

“I don’t want to focus on individuals. Rafa is one of the best players in Serie A; he can even be one of the best in the world. I’ve spoken to him; we are very direct with each other. We have a fantastic relationship; he’s very available and ready to help the team, whether from the start, in the 40th minute, or the 90th.”

On the other hand, January signing Santiago Gimenez hasn’t scored for a month.

“Over these weeks, we’ve had time to work on different areas, specifically on attack, defence, and midfield,” said Conceiçao.

“It’s a collective effort when you react after losing possession. It all works as a team; just like attacking, it starts with the goalkeeper. We need to work across all departments to find balance. We are working towards that balance, to be dangerous in attack and, defensively, to prevent opponents from reaching our goal too easily.”

Nevertheless, Conceiçao admitted that Gimenez and Abraham are unlikely to start together.

“It depends on the game and the strategy I have for it. I like playing with two forwards as reference points, but starting that way from the beginning, I don’t think so.”

Loftus-Cheek will return to the Milan squad after several months in the upcoming game against Como. The ex-Chelsea midfielder has never been available during Conceiçao’s tenure, which started at the end of December.

“I’ve never had him available due to injuries, but now he’s at 100%,” said the Rossoneri box.

“He’s not yet ready for 90 minutes, but I like him a lot. He’s a very strong midfielder he gets into the opponent’s box well. Physically, he’s a beast. I hope to have him available for this final stretch of the season. Last year, he scored ten goals. He’s a top-quality box-to-box player.”

Could Conceiçao use a three-man defence to give fewer defensive duties to Theo on the left wing?

“I can’t restrict his attacking ability,” argued the Milan boss.

“I have to let him go and find the right balance so he can contribute like he did in Lecce and be decisive in the final third because he has that quality.”