Milan’s Coppa Italia Victory Marred By Injury To Rafael Leao

According to the latest Rafael Leao injury update, Milan are expressing ‘cautious optimism’ about the Portuguese star’s calf problem. 

Leao scored the opener as the Rossoneri beat Bari 2-0 in the Coppa Italia on Sunday. The 26-year-old headed home in the 14th minute after Fikayo Tomori’s measured cross found him unmarked to guide home.

Shortly after, Leao was subbed out for Santiago Gimenez. Although disappointed, the Portugal international wasn’t going to be risked so head coach Max Allegri deemed the change necessary.

🚨 𝗡𝗘𝗪: Rafael Leao got injured STRAIGHT after scoring and is walking off. pic.twitter.com/SkT0xyLmS3

— The Touchline | 𝐓 (@TouchlineX) August 17, 2025

Rafael Leao Injury Update

Rafael Leao appeared to injure his right calf whilst celebrating his opening goal of the season. The Milan vs Bari highlights show Leao crouching near the touchline and he jolts slightly whilst returning to a standing position.

It was at that moment that the Rossoneri star is thought to have entertained the problem. Leao was replaced just three minutes after his superb towering header with Max Allegri not willing to risk him.

As it stands, there has been no official update from the Serie A giants or the player himself. However, the calf injury doesn’t appear to be too serious as Leao was moving relatively freely.

Nonetheless, further tests will need to be carried out to determine the exact severity of the problem. Only then will a correct diagnosis be issued.

What Games Could Rafael Leao Miss?

Even if the tests come back indicating just a minor strain, it seems unlikely that Rafael Leao would be risked for the Serie A opener on Saturday.

Milan will host newly-promoted Cremonese whereby Santiago Gimenez is on standby to replace Leao. Noah Okafor is set to move to Leeds United so it leaves just the Mexican as a suitable back-up.

If Leao’s calf problem is worse than first feared, there’s a possibility he won’t feature before the first international break of the season.

That would mean he would be absent for the fixture against Lecce as well. The Rossoneri face Bologna in mid-September which would potentially be his first game back.

Rafael Leao 2024-25 Stats

In terms of goals scored, Rafael Leao had a slightly underwhelming 2024-25 campaign by his high standards. It wasn’t in any way disastrous, but 12 strikes in 50 outings was his least since the 2020-21 season.

Leao went on to record an impressive 13 assists across all competitions. That meant he averaged a goal contribution in every other game for 2024-25.

With that in mind, it was an impressive campaign for the Milan star although the Rossoneri finished outside of the European positions.

However, the expectations on Leao have risen after his brilliant performances in pre-season. Supporters will want to see the Portuguese star net at least 20 goals this season.

Under the guidance of Max Allegri and having developed a strong relationship with Christian Pulisic, the sky really is the limit for Leao. Unless his calf strain is worse than first feared.