AC Milan manager Paulo Fonseca has stated that Samuel Chukwueze’s injury played a key role in his team’s inability to secure a win against AS Roma in Sunday’s Serie A match.

Chukwueze, who had been included in the starting lineup, impressed in the tight contest but was forced to leave the field just two minutes after the hour mark due to injury.

Fonseca expressed that the player's departure disrupted the team’s strategy. “In the first half, we created several chances to score. The players showed a very fair attitude,” Fonseca commented after the match. “But with Chukwueze’s exit, we lost a lot and took many risks. We deserved to win, but we missed too many chances.”

READ ALSO: AC Milan Dismiss Coach Fonseca After Six-Month Tenure

AC Milan has parted ways with head coach Paulo Fonseca after just six months in charge, following a disappointing run of results that left the club far from its Serie A ambitions. The decision was announced on Monday, a day after Milan’s 1-1 draw with AS Roma, which dropped the team to seventh place in the league.

Fonseca, 51, preempted the news during his post-match press conference, revealing he had been dismissed before departing the San Siro. In a club statement, Milan confirmed the decision:

“AC Milan announces that Paulo Fonseca has been relieved from his duties as Head Coach of the Men’s First Team. The Club extends its gratitude to Paulo for his great professionalism and wishes him the very best in his future endeavours.”

The former coach of Shakhtar Donetsk, Roma, and Lille faced mounting pressure as Milan’s performances fell short of expectations. The team is currently eight points behind Lazio, who occupy the fourth and final Champions League spot, and 12 points behind rivals Inter Milan, who are vying for the title.

Sergio Conceicao, 50, is expected to step into the role. The Portuguese coach, who has Serie A experience as a former player, became available after ending his seven-year tenure at Porto earlier this year.

Fonseca’s tenure was marked by inconsistent form and tension within the squad. He frequently clashed with senior players, including public criticisms of star winger Rafael Leao and the controversial benching of full-back Theo Hernandez in favor of a teenage academy player during a goalless draw with Genoa.

Off-field issues also contributed to the growing unrest. Fans expressed their dissatisfaction with the club’s owners, US investment fund RedBird, during Milan’s 125th-anniversary celebrations on December 21. The event was overshadowed by poor on-pitch performance, the notable absence of legend Paolo Maldini, and protests from fans demanding the sale of the club.

Supporters later gathered outside a private party for the anniversary, jeering players and displaying banners reading, “A club with no ambition, you’re not worthy of our history.”

AC Milan, the seven-time European champions, hopes to turn their season around under new management. With Conceicao likely to bring fresh energy and experience, the club faces an uphill battle to reclaim its place among Serie A’s elite.