Rafael Leao will not play for AC Milan against Torino because of an injury, manager Ruben Amorim said, while insisting the Portugal forward remains part of his plans despite speculation over the club’s transfer activity.
Amorim was speaking at a news conference at Milanello training ground during the final days of the summer transfer window. He said he had no information about any players leaving the club but stressed that the immediate priority was the match against Torino rather than discussion about Leao’s future.
“Rafa is not the priority right now. What matters is tomorrow’s match. He’s not fit to playhe’s injuredbut he’s our player. Everyone else is ready. I have no news about players leaving. What matters is winning tomorrow. Leao won’t play tomorrow; we’ll see about the future.”
The manager also played down the importance of individual players, saying AC Milan’s main objective was to develop a united squad capable of competing consistently.
“That’s not the priority right now. I believe the players we’ve signed are not inexpensive; they have high ability and significant room for growth, which is very important at the start of a project. We must become a real team, a family. We seek technical quality, but that unity is most importantit can even compensate for many shortcomings. What matters now is not individual ability, but becoming a cohesive team. We must prove to the fans through our performance that we want to build a strong team again. We must show this sense of family and fight in every moment, in every match. Do the best players win? No, the best team wins. We must understand that we play for a club with great responsibility. The priority now is to keep improving as a team.”
Amorim said AC Milan’s performances last season had shown a contrast between their displays against leading opponents and their results against less highly regarded sides. He identified Torino as a particularly strong challenge and called for his players to show greater consistency.
“When I watched Milan play last season, I saw a team that performed very well against strong opponents like Internazionale, but whose focus would drop against smaller teams. For me, Torino is currently one of the best teams. We need to show the right mentality and prove it on the pitch. Internazionale is the best-organized team; they’ve had a clear identity under Simone Inzaghi. Then there’s Gasperini, who knows this league very well. After that, there’s Como’s pace, power, and freedomthey have no pressure of responsibility. We do, and that can weigh heavy on the players. There’s also Sarri’s Atalanta. Last season we lost to Cagliari at home and missed out on Champions League qualification, which made things difficult. Right now, I’m focused on Torino first. We must beat them, and then think about the next match.”
Despite acknowledging the gap between AC Milan and Internazionale, Amorim said the club’s ambition remained to win the league title. He argued that the season offered a fresh opportunity because every team started with zero points.
“Our goal is always to win the league title. I don’t know how long it will take, but that must be our mentality, because no matter the circumstances, the fans want to win. There is indeed a gap between us and Internazionalewe must be honest with the fans and ourselves, even if facing reality can be difficult. However, once the season starts, everyone begins with the same points, and we can go out and win every game, taking it one match at a time.”
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