Fonseca's lineup is starting to stick: Maignan, Royal, Gabbia, Tomori, Theo, Fofana, Reijnders, Pulisic, Morata, Leao, Abraham.
This is the trusted team of the Portuguese head coach, and after the September break, there have been only three changes: one game with Calabria starting, two with Pavlovic, and three with Loftus-Cheek. Very few. If we consider the big clubs, Milan is the team with the fewest changes in Europe.
Since the beginning of September, Fonseca has never deployed Jovic, Okafor, Musah, Thiaw, or Chukwueze from the first minute. Other managers have made different choices: some rotated in national cup competitions (like Conte and Arteta, two other conservative managers in the league), or implemented regular rotation (like Flick and Italiano).
The ranking of players used as starters in the last month looks like this: Milan 14, Bayern and Atalanta 16, Juventus and Leverkusen 17, PSG 18, Real Madrid and Bologna 19, Inter and Barcelona 20, Liverpool and Arsenal 21, City and Napoli 22. Big difference.
The ranking of minutes played by the 11 most-used players, limited to the Italian teams in the Champions League plus Napoli, gives the same impression: Milan’s 11 starters have played 2,580 minutes, while Inter and Juventus haven’t even reached 2,300.
Reasons behind Fonseca's choices for Milan's lineup:
Milan’s terrible start explains a lot. In facing difficulties, Fonseca made a decision: to stick with a set eleven and rely on them. He realized Matteo Gabbia was the right man for defence and hasn’t looked back. He chose a 4-2-3-1 formation with a very particular playmaker—Morata or Loftus-Cheek—and hasn’t changed his mind.
As a result, Milan is now a team with 10 fixed starters and one unexplored competition between Emerson Royal and Calabria, which will be tested once Calabria returns from injury.
Is there a lack of reliable options for Milan on the bench?
The current concern is understanding the potential side effects. Injuries are under control for now, lower than last year’s average: those playing, with exceptions like Calabria’s fatigue or Morata’s cautious handling, aren’t struggling. The more pressing issue is the readiness of the substitutes, who, if they don't play, risk losing fitness and morale.
Chukwueze had a poor performance when he came on for Leverkusen. Musah risks losing rhythm—he’s not the type of player who shines in just 15 minutes. Okafor has had physical issues but didn’t even play in the Euros with Switzerland, so he’s lost consistency.
This can't go on for long with two games per week: Calabria, Pavlovic, Musah, Chukwueze, Okafor, and Jovic will be needed. Fonseca’s list of good resolutions for October likely includes one clear goal: more rotation.
This was reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport
