“Focus immediately on Bologna,” Ruben Amorim had warned in the bowels of the Bluenergy Stadium, just minutes after his Milan side’s victory over Udinese. A typical phrase for the occasion? In a week that ends with the Derby della Madonnina on Halloween night, one would think not. Although, whether he likes it or not, when making his lineup selections for the midweek match against Bologna, the Rossoneri coach himself will have to cast an eye further ahead to the city derby against Inter.
So tonight at San Siro, Luka Modric and Christian Pulisic will be on the bench at kick-off, while Amorim has not rushed the recoveries of Mario Gila and Diego Moreira, who were already absent in Udine. Rabiot is a different case, as his situation is a little more delicate and his return for the derby remains a puzzle.
Milan's emergency and rotation plans:
What the former Sporting coach is doing is not rotation in the true sense of the word, simply because the eight players in the treatment room make certain changes difficult. Wherever possible, however, Amorim will try to give his big names a rest. It is no secret that, for the 41-year-old Modric, three matches in one week represent an excessively packed schedule. Likewise, this season Pulisic, who returned from the injury he sustained at the World Cup with the United States, has never started two consecutive matches with European commitments in between. With Inter on the horizon, that reasoning becomes even stronger, writes La Gazzetta dello Sport in this morning's print edition.
In fact, Amorim is also keeping his options open regarding the centre-forward position: Gonçalo Ramos exerted himself considerably in several physical battles against Udinese’s defence, and the Portuguese coach is secretly entertaining the idea of giving Francesco Camarda a chance to start a league match. The final decision, however, will only come today after the technical meeting with the team.
Forced choices
As mentioned, Amorim does not have an abundance of options at the moment. Managing the workload and giving the two most prominent players in the squad a breather is already a “dangerous” luxury, considering the recent improvement of Palladino’s Bologna and the eight unavailable players at Milanello.
Jashari will stand in for Modric, finally being granted two consecutive starts in a Rossoneri shirt. Alongside him in midfield, there will be room for Musah: the two have not started a Serie A match together since the opening matchday, when Milan won away at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino.
Compared to Sunday evening, there will be one change in the attacking midfield area, where Cisse returns to the lineup at the expense of Pulisic. The young talent, formerly of Verona and Catanzaro, is still searching for his first goal at San Siro, having scored five goals away from home in this early part of the season. Amorim expects a lot from him after leaving him out of the starting eleven against Udinese.
The attacking wide players will be the same as those seen in Udine: Hutchinson (fresh from his first goal for Milan) on the right, and Bartesaghi on the left. An inspired idea (using the number 33 as an out-and-out winger) that made the Portuguese coach so proud that he is immediately repeating it.
Behind Bartesaghi, however, Estupinan should return, with young Diawara either going back to the bench or taking Pavlovic’s place in the centre of defence. Extra work, meanwhile, is certain for Maignan, Tomori and De Winter.
Halloween...
Gerry Cardinale will be in the stands and will also remain in Milan for Saturday evening’s derby. The head of RedBird praised Amorim’s work and the team’s growth following the victory in Udine.
Going into the derby with another three points in the bag would provide an additional boost of enthusiasm. And then the focus could turn entirely to the match against Chivu, when Milan might have recovered some players and regained freshness to dream of an eighth consecutive city derby without defeat.
The last defeat in a derby dates back to April 22, 2024, when Inter celebrated winning the Scudetto of their second star in front of the Rossoneri crowd at San Siro. A humiliation that, however, was followed by a run of five victories and two draws for the Diavolo, despite the league table having consistently shown the Nerazzurri well ahead.
Even now, Inter are four points above Milan, but on Halloween, Milan hope to cast a spell on their city rivals once again. Perhaps with the return of Rabiot, as well as Moreira and Gila. And above all, with Modric and Pulisic properly rested.
