Eagles star snubbed! Milan pay price for keeping Chukwueze on bench after heartbreaking defeat

AC Milan's decision to keep Nigerian Super Eagles winger Samuel Chukwueze on the bench until the final two minutes of their Serie A match against Torino proved costly, as they succumbed to a 2-1 defeat.

This victory against the Milan giants on Saturday evening marked Torino's third consecutive home win over AC.

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The match began with a disastrous start for Milan, as Malick Thiaw scored an own goal in just the fifth minute.

The chaos at the back was compounded by Mike Maignan's misjudged clearance that ricocheted off Thiaw into the empty net.

Despite creating several chances, including a penalty saved by Vanja Milinkovic-Savic from Christian Pulisic, Milan struggled to find their rhythm.

Tijjani Reijnders managed to equalise for Milan in the 74th minute with a well-taken strike from ten yards out.

However, their joy was short-lived as Gvidas Gineitis restored Torino's lead just two minutes later with an angled drive past Maignan.

Chukwueze remained on the bench until it was too late, entering only two minutes before stoppage time when his team desperately needed inspiration.

His limited involvement meant he had little opportunity to influence the game significantly.

Milan's defeat follows a series of disappointing results this week and puts pressure on coach Sergio Conceicao ahead of upcoming fixtures.

With Lazio drawing earlier in the day and Bologna losing at Parma, this loss is particularly damaging for Milan’s top-four aspirations.

While Milan look to regroup and push forward in Serie A, questions will be raised about whether keeping Chukwueze benched was wise given his potential impact offensively.

The Rossoneri face Bologna next and will need all hands on deck if they hope to revive their campaign.