If Salzburg had led Ruben Amorim to believe that squad rotation was a viable option for his Milan, the debacle at Bournemouth brought all the doubts back to the surface. Is the Rossoneri squad equipped to handle two commitments per week? A question that is absolutely relevant during the weekend that opens a series of three matches in six days. The first appointment is tomorrow in Udine, the last on Saturday in the derby against Inter. In between, the midweek match against Bologna at San Siro.
The Portuguese coach approaches this period with a few too many injured players (in addition to the long-term absentees Saelemaekers and Gabbia, Chukwueze will also miss all three matches), but also with some good news, fresh from yesterday: Gonçalo Ramos trained with the group and has already fully recovered in time for the clash with Udinese. The former PSG centre-forward is convinced he can reclaim his place at the centre of the attack as early as tomorrow evening, although with a calf injury it is always better to proceed with caution. Given the current situation, however, it is possible that Amorim will push for his return in Udine, giving Camarda the San Siro stage in the midweek match, as relayed via La Gazzetta dello Sport in this morning's print edition.
Amorim's Milan, intuition and Changes
Beyond the doubts linked to the physical conditions of one player or another, Amorim is dealing with other questions, especially of a tactical nature. At Bournemouth, for example, Moreira was seen again on the right. It may be a coincidence, but the Belgian failed to make an impact, exactly as he did against Juventus on his debut as a starter in Serie A. On the left, however, it has been a completely different story: goals (against Lazio and Lecce) and an assist (against Atalanta).
Chukwueze's injury, however, forces the former Sporting coach into complicated decisions, with Hutchinson still not having fully settled into the role. Amorim could come up with something new, as he has already done this season, when, after the first defeat against Benfica, he presented a completely transformed Milan for the following league match against Lecce: a back four, Pulisic finally starting, and Rabiot moved back into central midfield.
The need for squad rotation, combined with the necessity of protecting Modric in midfield, then pushed Amorim to switch to a 4-3-3 in Salzburg in the Europa League, where the Rossoneri fielded no fewer than eight different players compared to the previous Serie A match at home against Sassuolo. On that occasion, the extensive rotations worked brilliantly, with the Rossoneri even scoring four goals in Austria.
The 4-3-3 was also used again, with some variations, in the league against Atalanta (a 3-2 victory), while it collapsed at Bournemouth with a lineup similar to the one in Salzburg (three changes: Estupinan for Bartesaghi, Musah for Rabiot, and Moreira for Camarda).
Level
It is clear that the most enigmatic puzzle concerns the adaptability of certain players to Amorim's style of football and, more generally, to the standards required at Milan.
Can Tomori, fully reintegrated into the squad at the end of the transfer window and having returned to playing just over a week ago, be deployed as part of a back four? Do Pavlovic and De Winter perform as well as central defenders in a back four as they do in a back three? Is Jashari merely a backup for Modric? Does Loftus-Cheek, moved back and forth between the attacking midfield and the wing, have a defined role, or is he simply a stopgap, moreover with the usual uncertainties surrounding his performances?
Amorim, on the other hand, does not seem to have any doubts about Estupinan, despite the criticism from the Rossoneri supporters.
And if even the reliable players, such as Maignan (as shown by his red card at Bournemouth) end up letting the team down, then the situation really becomes much more complicated. And no tactical decision can make up for that.
