'He has to fight' - Ruben Amorim sends clear message to Rafael Leao over Milan future

The 27-year-old Portugal international made no secret of his desire to seek a new challenge abroad at the end of last season, with England or Spain his preferred destination. However, with no concrete offers materialising and only two weeks remaining in the transfer window, it seems increasingly likely that he will remain at San Siro. His absence from the latest pre-season fixture has only added further intrigue to the situation.

Amorim enjoyed a memorable evening in Wroclaw, watching his side hit four past his former club United courtesy of goals from Samuel Chukwueze, Alphadjo Cisse, Goncalo Ramos, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek. Leao missed out entirely after reporting a muscle twinge before kick-off, prompting his manager to offer an update on his condition, as quoted by TMW: "I don't think it's a serious thing, but I don't know if he'll be ready."

When pressed on where the winger stands and how he fits into the competition out wide, the Portuguese head coach offered a candid assessment: "I don't know, but Leao is one of our players. I've already said that we're happy to have him, he's a valuable player. So we'll see, but he has to fight.

"I think Cisse, with the way that he played, will make things difficult. [Alexis] Saelemaekers has changed positions, it will be tough. We also have [Christian] Pulisic coming back, so we will have a lot of players who will be fighting for that place."

Leao faces a race against the clock to prove his fitness ahead of Milan's Serie A curtain-raiser against Torino this weekend. That opening clash will provide a crucial test of Amorim's blueprint following a promising pre-season campaign. If the star forward is out, those who impressed in his absence can secure starting spots.