Fonseca insists he will select his team for the San Siro clash on form and not reputation.
Is it essential to be focused on tomorrow?
"I know that Udinese always create great difficulties and I know that tomorrow will be no different. They are a good team, very aggressive, who play well and are very motivated. We will have to be at the highest level to be able to win tomorrow."
After Fiorentina you were angry... What's the mood now?
"The first day was good because I didn't see anyone, I was angry. After certain games I don't like to see anyone. We had few players in these training sessions, then all the internationals arrived yesterday. We talked about Fiorentina and prepared Udinese. For me it was very important yesterday to talk about what happened in Florence. Today we talked about Udinese."
What were the topics?
"Everything you think. I don't turn a blind eye to problems. We have them, let's face them."
Do you feel like you're not understood?
"My leadership is not to be seen outside, I'm not an actor. If we have a problem, I don't give a s*** about the player's name. I talk to them. Frontally, directly, with the team or with the players."
Have you spoken to Ibra?
"I speak to him every day, we spoke about it after Florence too."
Will those who made mistakes in Florence be punished?
"We'll see tomorrow. For me, no player is more important than the team. And those who make mistakes must take responsibility. If someone doesn't follow this team spirit, it's difficult for me."
The criticism leveled at you is that you don't have the dressing room in your control...
"I don't need to prove anything, I'm not an actor. In football today there is a great need to be seen, but I have been like this since day one. Ask this question to footballers, whether I have been like this since day one or not."
Reijnders said that "we are slowly putting the coach's instructions into practice". Where is the process at?
"I want to tell the truth. It is difficult to change. It is always difficult to change. Are we changing? Yes. I have also reflected on this, and I have to understand that it is a big change and I have to be more patient. We need more time to change. We are starting to see things that are important, we have to continue. We don't have much time to train, slowly we have to improve in what I believe we have to improve."
Who instead of Theo?
"I haven't decided."
Before the break you said you wouldn't make much rotation. Now, in view of the many commitments, will you change?
"Maybe. We have this need right now."
Can Musah play as a winger?
"I think I'm lucky to have a player who can play in different positions. Playing as a winger doesn't seem like a possibility at the moment. He can play in other positions."
Can Okafor play tomorrow?
"It's a possibility but I don't know if he'll play."
Who will be the captain tomorrow?
"I arrived here and there were already three captains: Calabria, Theo and Leao, because they are the players with the most games in Milan. I can agree or not with this, but I have to respect this decision. What I think is that this team needs more leaders. For me it is not important who has the armband, but to have three or more players who share the leadership. There are other players who can help these players in the leadership. And for me the leaders are not those who have the armband. There are other players who can help those who have the armband."
Where are you in terms of the team?
"I'm working hard to grow the team and get it to what I want. We're doing what we can do even with the little time we have, the players are responding well. We have to continue, I continue to believe that we will be a different team in the future."
Is this the first crucial moment?
"Here all the games are important, that's why I don't think too long term because the most important one is tomorrow. Tomorrow we have a very difficult game, the little time we have is needed to concentrate the player on the next game. Here at Milan all the games are crucial, decisive. Maybe for the fans the derby was a decisive moment, for me they are all decisive."
Is the change difficult on a technical, athletic, tactical or psychological level?
"Everything, they are all interconnected. We can talk about tactics and structure... Do you think we lost to Fiorentina because there was a technical or tactical problem? For me there is more. I think we did not have the nastiness, the desire to run more than Fiorentina. This is all in the head. We can work on everything, but what was important for me to see is that we did not have aggression. And this is not tactics. We have to run more than the others and we did not do it."
Could Pulisic be seen as an attacking midfielder with Chukwueze wide on the right? Is that possible?
"Yes. Pulisic is not playing open right now, he is an attacking midfielder on the right. It is possible."
How is Royal going?
"At Tottenham he often played as a central defender. Here he can play as a blocked full-back, I think that's the best role for him. But we haven't used this structure now. And, playing with Pulisic inside, he has to play the wing. The right role for him is to play as a blocked full-back."
Liberali was included by The Guardian in the list of the 50 best players of 2007. After an excellent pre-season, he is now struggling to find space. What is missing?
"I have always said that I believe a lot in the young players we have: Jimenez, Bartesaghi, Zeroli, Camarca, Liberali, Cuenca... There are many players with quality. Milan did well to create a space for these young players with Milan Futuro, in Italy this transition is not easy for these young players: with Milan Futuro they can grow and improve.
"Liberali played the pre-season against Real Madrid, Barcelona. Pre-season games, but for me it was clear that he is a player with a great future if he continues to work humbly, he can be an important player. When? I don't know. What I know is that he is a boy who works with us, this week he worked with us, he has great quality and must continue on his path of growth. If we have to bring him with us it must be the right time, otherwise it becomes difficult for this type of player. Tomorrow he will be with us anyway."
Is Pulisic tired?
"I thank Pochettino who released him earlier. Is he playing a lot? Well, we've played seven games, what will be said at the end of the season? He's in a great moment, he's been the most consistent."
Are you having fun?
"I would like to have more fun. Being a coach, not just here, is not a very fun thing. There are different moments, it's difficult at this level to always have a smile on your face. But I always bring my passion every day. My passion doesn't change for any reason. I love what I do. It's difficult, even for our family. I don't come home every day with a smile on my face. I try to forget about my profession once I get home, but it's not easy. Then there are also many moments that I really like."