A new week, another European away trip. After the victory in Salzburg, Milan will visit another red-and-black team on Thursday, Bournemouth, who sit 15th in the Premier League and are coming off a win against Sunderland in the league last weekend, another opponent the Diavolo will face in the Europa League.
The match at the Vitality Stadium, however, has two important implications: on the one hand, it could allow Milan to maintain their momentum in terms of results, while on the other, it could also serve as a test of the squad's depth. Ruben Amorim, just as he did last week in Austria, is ready to change several players again, asking for further responses from those who have had less playing time so far. The first test against Salzburg was passed with flying colours, but now the bar is being raised. Bournemouth have won both of their European matches, and at the Vitality Stadium, in front of the English fans, Milan will have to prove that they are competitive even without always relying on the same players.
Tomori, Bartesaghi, and the others...
Just as in Salzburg, Ruben Amorim is expected to make changes to his defence in England too, giving Fikayo Tomori playing time and an opportunity to feature. He could take De Winter's place, with Gila a candidate to retain his starting spot. Davide Bartesaghi could return on the left, having been calling for more playing time, but these might not be the only changes, as others are also expected in the attacking midfield area, where Amorim now has several alternatives at his disposal.
But the point goes beyond names. Those who come in will have to prove that they can be considered more than mere substitutes, as Adrien Rabiot also called for after the Milan-Atalanta match with a direct and clear message.
AC Milan face tougher squad-depth test against Bournemouth after Salzburg success
In Austria, the second-string players stepped up, from Hutchinson to Jashari, through to Tomori and, of course, the main star at the Red Bull Arena, Alphadjo Cisse. Bournemouth, however, will represent a tougher test, especially as the English side come into the match on the back of two European victories, as well as their league win over Sunderland.
Amorim, however, will not change his approach and will experiment once again. Things went well in Salzburg because the Austrian match showed that alternatives are available. That will not be enough in Bournemouth, because those who play will have to prove that they can be relied upon. Simply being an option might not be enough. This was reported by Milan News.
