Despite struggling to hit the back of the net with regularity so far this season, AC Milan coach Marco Giampaolo won’t be dropping Krzysztof Piatek for their match against Genoa on Saturday.
The Polish striker managed to score 30 goals last season while splitting time between the Grifone and Rossoneri, but he has only two strikes so far this campaign.
With Milan struggling as a whole with just six points from six matches, Giampaolo has made it clear the side can’t do without Piatek.
“Milan can’t do without their most prolific striker, even though he has failed to score several times this season,” he told reporters at his pre-match press conference ahead of the match with Genoa.
“Otherwise, who will score? I have to trust Kris, though it’s obvious over the course of a long season that he might have to be rested at times.
“He must stay in and suffer and take responsibility. The most important players must stay in the trenches.”
Giampaolo’s job is under threat after a poor start to the campaign, but he insists his focus is on doing well for the club.
“Do I feel at risk? We mustn’t look at me, but at us,” he stated. “I have the responsibility of doing well for Milan, not for myself.
“The interest of the individual don’t matter. Losing hurts the morale of players and you have to rebuild the mental side of things, understand where things went wrong and try to approach that as an individual and a group without hiding.
“This side has ample room for improvement and the real battle is the mental side of things.
“The first thing that people do when things are going wrong is to raise their focus. Every ball must be the last one, even a throw-in.”
