An unbeaten start with a gap to the leaders
Milan have not lost a Serie A match this season. They have won five and drawn three of their eight games, scoring 16 and conceding 7. That is 18 points and fifth place. [1] notes the 2-0 win at Udinese came after a Europa League defeat at Bournemouth, so the team answered that setback quickly.
The recent league run has been solid rather than dominant. Milan drew 2-2 at Lazio, beat Lecce 3-0 at home, drew 1-1 at Sassuolo, beat Atalanta 3-2 and then won at Udinese. The Udinese goals came from Christian Pulisic and Omari Hutchinson. The Atalanta game shows the other side of the record: a 3-2 home win means Milan are still conceding in matches they control.
Other teams are doing better. According to [2], Inter lead Serie A with 22 points, four ahead of Milan, and both sides are unbeaten in the league. Former Milan defender Alessandro Costacurta said, as reported by [1], that Milan show promising attitude and running under Ruben Amorim but are not yet a Scudetto contender. An unbeaten record and fifth place sit together because three draws have cost points that a title challenger would want.
A thin squad for a heavy week
The fixture list is demanding. Milan host Bologna on Wednesday and then play the Derby della Madonnina at San Siro on Saturday 31 October. The injury list makes both games harder. The BBC preview says Milan face an injury crisis, with up to eight players missing for the derby, though it does not name them all.
Three absences are described as long-term: Matteo Gabbia, Alexis Saelemaekers and Samuel Chukwueze. [3] reports that Mario Gila, Adrien Rabiot and Diego Moreira are unlikely to be fit for Bologna, although Amorim hopes to have them back for the derby. That makes Wednesday a test of squad depth, and Milan will want to avoid losing anyone else.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek is a fresh worry. He was forced off in stoppage time at Udinese after a collision with Matteo Palma and is undergoing tests. No timeline has been given and the report rates his status as doubtful. If he misses time, Amorim loses another option in midfield on top of the Rabiot doubt.
Contracts, selection and the fringe players
Off the pitch, the main story is Pulisic. Sky and Gazzetta report that he has agreed a contract extension to June 2031, according to [4]. An announcement is expected soon, but it has not been confirmed, so it should be treated as a report. Pulisic scored at Udinese and is clearly central to how Milan attack.
At centre-forward, [5] says Alphadjo Cisse appears to be preferred to Francesco Camarda. That is only a low-confidence indication, not a confirmed selection. Camarda has played just nine Serie A minutes this season across three substitute appearances, including a late cameo at Udinese. Former Milan midfielder Massimo Ambrosini has advised him to look at regular football elsewhere, citing Nicolo Tresoldi’s form at Club Brugge. With so many players injured, Camarda may be needed in the next few games.
There was also good news for a squad player. Davide Bartesaghi was one of the best players at Udinese after waiting patiently for his chance under Amorim. With the injury list this long, players like him matter more than they did a few weeks ago.
What it means
Milan sit fifth on 18 points from eight games, four behind Inter, with a record of W5 D3 L0. They are unbeaten, but they are chasing the leaders rather than leading. The form line is healthy: three wins in the last five league games, two draws, and 2-0 at Udinese in the latest match. Goals have come regularly (16 in eight), though seven conceded and the 3-2 against Atalanta show the defence can be stretched, which is a concern with Gila and Gabbia unavailable or doubtful.
The next fixture is Milan against Bologna on 28 October. The site’s forecast gives Milan a 58% chance of winning, with 24% for a draw and 18% for a Bologna win. The predicted score is 2-0. That is a reasonable home favourite’s call, but the missing players are the main risk, particularly if Loftus-Cheek is ruled out as well.
The derby then asks a different question. Milan have won the last three meetings with Inter and are unbeaten in their last seven derbies in all competitions, according to [2]. A win would cut the gap to the leaders, but only if Amorim gets Gila, Rabiot and Moreira back and avoids new injuries against Bologna. Beating Bologna and getting players fit is the best preparation Milan can have.
Sources
- Football Italia: Costacurta: ‘I like the attitude Milan are showing, but I’m not seeing a Scudetto team’ football-italia.net ↩
- BBC Sport: Milan derby to be shown live on BBC Two bbc.co.uk ↩
- Football Italia: Milan target derby return for Gila, Rabiot and Moreira football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Pulisic ready to sign Milan contract extension as new salary revealed football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Ambrosini advises Camarda to look at Tresoldi: ‘Needs to play somewhere more realistic’ football-italia.net ↩
