Inter Milan goalkeeper André Onana dismisses the importance of Rafael Leao’s absence in the first leg of the Champions League semifinal.
The two crosstown rivals will clash heads at the San Siro Stadium in the first leg of the much-anticipated EuroDerby, and the Rossoneri goalkeeper spoke to Sky Sport (via FcInterNews) ahead of the crucial tilt.
As expected, Milan star Leao will miss the grand occasion after sustaining an untimely injury. The Serie A MVP left the pitch in the first minutes of his team’s match against Lazio over the weekend, leaving his supporters sweating over his condition.
The 23-year-old’s absence has now been confirmed following the release of Milan’s matchday squad.
Nonetheless, Onana downplays the importance of the Portuguese’s absence, saying that it doesn’t change anything regarding his team’s preparations.
“Nothing changes for us, whether or not he’s playing, we must find a way to go through to the final. His presence doesn’t change anything,” said the Inter custodian in his pre-match interview.
The 26-year-old has played at this stage of the competition before during his time at Ajax, and the same goes for former Man City and AS Roma striker Edin Dzeko. So will they have advice in store for their teammates?
“We will certainly have something to say in the locker room. We’re here for this too.
“We know how important this match is, we have to do our job. We know that if we do what the manager told us, victory shall arrive.”