Boban expresses concern about Milan’s Fofana reliance: “The steel lung” | OneFootball

Youssouf Fofana has been pivotal for AC Milan since joining, and Zvonimir Boban has expressed his concern about the Frenchman’s minutes this season.

When Milan made the leap and paid the fee for Fofana, questions were asked. After all, there had been suggestions that the deal could be done for free next summer with the Monegasque club seemingly out of Fofana’s mind.

Nevertheless, the Rossoneri bit the bullet, and they will be glad they did, even if they paid more than double the amount of their first bid in the end. Fofana’s importance to Fonseca has been clear to see, and perhaps, it is now too clear.

Speaking to Sky (via Milan News) after the Slovan Bratislava match, Boban spoke about the usage of Fofana and took pity on the overworked midfielder.

“The intuition of the four strikers against Inter was amazing, but you can’t play like that all year round. No one ever in history has succeeded, nor will Fonseca. With four strikers you can’t do it. But above all, if you had a Desailly-Fofana in the middle, plus these guys at the back, very fast, top defenders, well, you can still do anything.

“So you’ll never make it, because Reijnders is an eight, sometimes he feels like a 10 because he has those really ’10’ shots. So he can’t filter together with Fofana.

“Fofana dies in a while, you have to put the steel lung on him, poor guy. Already Bennacer and Fofana can hold a lot more, then maybe you put Reijnders further forward, but they are three midfielders.”

Whether it’s as extreme as Boban suggests it may be, Fofana is desperately in need of a deputy, and the Diavolo must act, for their sake as much as his.