Rafael Leao still missing for AC Milan as Massimiliano Allegri reveals new target date for Portuguese attacker's return

Leao remains sidelined with a muscle injury and will miss Tuesday's Coppa Italia tie against Lecce, with manager Allegri now hoping that he can be fit for the upcoming headline showdown against reigning Serie A champions Napoli. In an interview with Sportmediaset, Allegri confirmed the Portuguese star is not yet ready for action.

Leao has been out of action for over a month, having sustained a muscle problem in a match against Bari on August 17th. He has not featured so far in Serie A this season and will play no part in the Coppa Italia round of 32 clash at San Siro, with the club now set to assess his fitness later this week ahead of a potential comeback in the league.

Providing an update on the 26-year-old's condition, Allegri set out a clear timeline for a decision on his return. 

"Leao's return is definitely not tomorrow," the coach confirmed. "We'll evaluate him on Thursday and Friday and then decide whether or not he'll be available for Napoli." 

Allegri also revealed that Christopher Nkunku could start against Lecce as he plans to rotate his squad, stating, "Tomorrow is a chance to see who has played less, but it's also a chance to move forward and advance to the next round."

The Rossoneri enter the cup tie in strong domestic form, having won their last three Serie A matches. They will be favourites to advance, having already defeated Lecce 2-0 in the league earlier this season. Allegri will watch from the stands as he serves the final game of a two-match Coppa Italia suspension carried over from his time at Juventus, with his assistant Marco Landucci set to manage the team from the touchline.

Milan's immediate task is to secure their place in the next round of the cup on Tuesday evening. Following that, all eyes will turn to Leao's fitness assessment at the end of the week, with his potential availability for the high-profile league fixture against Napoli set to be a major talking point ahead of the weekend.