AC Milan manager Stefano Pioli has stated the reason why he preferred former Chelsea winger Christian Pulisic to Nigerian forward Samuel Chukwueze during an interview with DAZN.
According to AC Milan, it’s impracticable to keep Pulisic on the bench, despite calls for Chukwueze to earn more playing time.
“I liked Pulisic instead. Chukwueze is also fine, but at the moment I won’t give up an extra midfielder to play with four attacking players, and therefore Chukwueze is the one sacrificed the most at the moment.”
Until Milan’s last Serie A game against Juventus, Chukwueze has lived under the shadow of the American, playing only just seven minutes after replacing Pulisic.
Since joining Milan in the 2023 summer for a transfer of €20m, Samuel has been capped 31 times, making 5 goal contributions.
In the Serie A, he has made the matchday squad 25 times, starting 10 games, coming off the bench 12 times, and remaining unused as a substitution 3 times.
Reacting to his first Serie A goal, Chukwueze told DAZN, “I’m really happy. I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time. These first few months were not easy, but I’ve continued to work hard.
“It was important to win, and I want to keep scoring to help the team. I must continue working hard because they signed me to score goals. I trust the coach and his plans for me. I just need to remain focused and continue working hard.”
