AC Milan manager, Sergio Conceição has admitted that he may have been wrong to sideline Samuel Chukwueze after the winger delivered a game-changing performance in Milan’s 3-1 comeback win over Bologna on Friday night.
The Super Eagles star has endured a frustrating second half of the 2024–25 season, frequently overlooked despite being fully fit.
Before the Bologna clash, Chukwueze had not started any of Milan’s last 15 Serie A games and had played just 111 minutes across seven appearances, spending the full 90 minutes on the bench in eight matches.
But with the Rossoneri trailing 1-0 following Riccardo Orsolini’s strike early in the second half, Conceição turned to Chukwueze in a bold triple substitution that also introduced Santiago Gimenez and Kyle Walker. The move proved to be a masterstroke.
Within minutes of entering the pitch, Chukwueze made his presence felt.
His low, deflected cross in the 73rd minute led to Milan’s equaliser as Christian Pulisic set up Gimenez.
Pulisic then added a second goal six minutes later to put Milan ahead, before Chukwueze capped off a standout performance by assisting Gimenez again deep into stoppage time to seal the win.
Post-match, Conceição couldn’t hide his admiration. “I have embraced everyone. He deserves a very positive word, like the others who came in. He hasn’t played for a long time and wanted to show the coach that I was wrong not to put him in that game. It’s a good sign to have these doubts in the starting line-up.”
The win moved Milan up to eighth in the Serie A table, just three points behind fourth-placed Juventus, keeping their hopes of European qualification alive.
Chukwueze’s assist was his first in Serie A this season and only his second in all competitions, but it couldn’t have come at a better time.
With the Coppa Italia final against Bologna looming, the winger’s revitalised form could prove pivotal.
Milan has not won the trophy since 2003, and Chukwueze may have just played himself into a starting role for that crucial encounter.
