AC Milan star Rafael Leao has expressed confidence in his teammate Samuel Chukwueze, predicting that the Nigerian winger will carry his impressive pre-season form into the new campaign.

Chukwueze has been a standout performer for the Rossoneri during their pre-season games. He contributed two assists in Milan’s 3-2 victory over Manchester City and scored the winning goal in the 1-0 triumph against Real Madrid on Thursday.

Leao, speaking to SOS Fanta, emphasized the importance of confidence and game time for Chukwueze’s performance.

“When you don’t play a lot, it becomes difficult to show what you can do, but from what I’ve seen, Chuk (Chukwueze) has more confidence, he wants to have the ball and make a difference,” Leao said.

“That’s what I was waiting for. If he continues like this, he’ll have a great season.”

With Leao’s backing, Chukwueze looks poised to be a key player for AC Milan as they aim for success in the upcoming season after a rather underwhelming first year in Italy last season where he only exhibited flashes of his brilliance.