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AC Milan coach Leonardo said on Thursday that his side still has a chance of winning the Serie A title following Inter Milan's 1-1 draw at Parma on Wednesday.

Milan host Udinese on Friday night in a ground-breaking move in the Italian football calendar, with the match having been brought forward to give Milan an extra day's rest ahead of their Champions League clash against Manchester United next week.

In the league they sit 11 points behind leaders Inter but with a game in hand and the Brazilian coach believes those dropped points in Parma have given his team a boost.

"We can't deny that Inter's draw at Parma last night has given us the chance to close the gap a bit," he said.

"Right now we're coming into an important period in the season. We're coming into it off the back of a defeat and two draws (in the league) and we have to gain points for the road ahead."

Milan picked up just two points out of a possible nine in their last three matches and saw Inter's lead go from six to 11 points.

AC Milan also dropped to third as AS Roma, who have not been beaten in 19 matches in all competitions, replaced them in second.

"We're also concerned about Roma. The giallorossi are on a great run of results," added the Brazilian.

"However, every team has had a bad patch during the season, even Roma did when they were getting results that put them in a (lowly) position in the table that they didn't deserve.

"Now it's up to us to rediscover a rich vein of form and then the results will follow."

It really is a case of now or never for Milan whose whole season could rest on their next few matches.

Having been dumped out of the Coppa Italia by Udinese last month -- their third defeat in a row to the northerners -- they now have only the title and the Champions League to play for.

"This is a crucial period of our season, both in the league where we have to achieve a certain position, and in the Champions League which is now down to the business end," said Leonardo.

"Maybe this is the most important month of our season but I always take each day as it comes.

"Right now we have to think about tomorrow and the match against Udinese and to leave aside everything else."

Another worry facing Leonardo is his star Brazilian striker Ronaldinho and how the former Barcelona player will react to having been left out of Brazil coach Dunga's latest international squad, which seems to have put his very participation at June's World Cup in South Africa in jeopardy.

"I hope that Ronaldinho's being left out of the squad won't have an adverse effect on his performances," Leonardo mused.

"Of course it's everyone's dream to play for his country but he's doing well, he's happy and he's concentrating on Milan's objectives.

"Ronaldinho needs to keep doing what he's been doing, there's still time for the World Cup and he has to stay focussed on what he's doing here."