For the first time this year, AC Milan manager Stefano Pioli will start a match without Olivier Giroud in the front row, and a decision has apparently been made over his replacement.
Giroud will be rested against Hellas Verona on Saturday at San Siro, according to Daniele Longo of Calciomercato.com. Giroud started each of the season’s first five games and even played the entire game against Newcastle in midweek.
Although the attributes of Luka Jovic might be the closest equivalent, it appears that Pioli will rely on Okafor rather than the Serbian international.
It makes sense in light of what Jovic revealed during his unveiling press conference earlier today, where he acknowledged that because he only came on deadline day, he is not yet in the best condition.
I don’t know how much time I have, but I need some time. I will have to put in a lot of effort to prepare for the matches because I’m not physically at my best. I started out by working in accordance with a set plan, and I perform some tasks more frequently than the rest of the team.
Okafor will consequently be held accountable for the situation. Last season, when the 23-year-old scored in the Champions League match in Salzburg, Milan supporters and the management got a close-up look at him. We profiled his abilities as a false nine in an analysis.
