A response after Bournemouth
Milan’s weekend was a lesson in how quickly a season can feel different. On the Thursday they lost 3-0 away to Bournemouth in the Europa League, playing with 10 men for more than an hour after Mike Maignan was sent off, according to [1]. Within three days they were at Udinese, and they won 2-0.
Christian Pulisic scored early. Omari Hutchinson added the second in the 65th minute, his first goal for the club and his first Serie A start since joining on loan from Nottingham Forest, as [2] reported. Udinese suffered a sixth consecutive defeat, so the opposition was fragile, but Milan did what was needed with a depleted group.
Davide Bartesaghi was named among the best players. [3] notes he had been patient for opportunities under Ruben Amorim. He started on the left of midfield in a more advanced role, with Sankhoun Diawara behind him at left-back. Diawara was making his first Serie A start of the season.
The absentee list
The win came at a cost. Milan went to Udinese without seven players: Adrien Rabiot, Diego Moreira, Mario Gila, Samuel Chukwueze, Matteo Gabbia, Alexis Saelemaekers and Pietro Terracciano, per [4]. Gabbia, Saelemaekers and Chukwueze are described as long-term absentees.
The newer problems are Gila, Rabiot and Moreira, who reported fresh injuries after the weekend. [5] says all three are unlikely to be fit for Wednesday’s match against Bologna. Amorim hopes to have them back for the Saturday derby against Inter.
Then there is Ruben Loftus-Cheek. He was forced off in stoppage time after a collision with Udinese’s Matteo Palma and is undergoing tests, with no timeline given. His status is doubtful rather than confirmed out, and that uncertainty matters for a midfield already short of options.
Selection questions and transfer noise
Up front, Francesco Camarda came on in the 90th minute at Udinese. He has played only nine Serie A minutes this season across three substitute appearances. [6] reports that Alphadjo Cisse appears to be preferred to him at centre-forward, though that is a rumour at modest confidence. Ambrosini’s suggestion that Camarda should seek regular football abroad shows how the debate is running.
On the outside, Alessandro Costacurta praised Milan’s attitude and running under Amorim but said they are not yet a Scudetto team, according to [3]. It is a measured view of an unbeaten side that has drawn several games.
The transfer talk is separate. [7] reports that Milan are targeting Manchester United defender Leny Yoro and are open to selling Fikayo Tomori and Loftus-Cheek. Those are rumours, not done deals, and they bear on squad depth only if the injuries drag on.
What it means
The table says Milan are doing the basics well. They sit fourth in Serie A on 18 points from 8 games, with five wins, three draws and no defeats, and a goal record of 16 scored and 7 conceded. A plus-nine difference supports the case that this is a solid side rather than a lucky one.
The form line is positive but not flawless. Milan have won three of their last five league games: 2-0 at Udinese, 3-2 at home to Atalanta and 3-0 at home to Lecce. The two draws, 1-1 at Sassuolo and 2-2 at Lazio, both came on the road, where they dropped points against sides they would expect to beat. The 3-2 Atalanta result shows they also concede when games open up.
The next fixture asks a direct question of the squad. Milan host Bologna on 28 October in Serie A, and the site’s forecast locks 24 hours before kick-off. With Gila, Rabiot and Moreira unlikely to feature and Loftus-Cheek under assessment, Amorim will lean again on players like Bartesaghi, Diawara and Hutchinson, who have just shown they can deliver. A home win would extend the unbeaten run and put Milan in a stronger position before the derby on Saturday. A slip would turn the injury list into a genuine concern.
Sources
- Football Italia: Bartesaghi: ‘I feel in good shape, I am able to play in both phases’ football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Video: Hutchinson nets first goal of Milan career in 2-0 Udinese victory football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Costacurta: ‘I like the attitude Milan are showing, but I’m not seeing a Scudetto team’ football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Pulisic ‘job’ when Modric has the ball, Hutchinson gift after ‘massive’ first Milan goal football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Milan target derby return for Gila, Rabiot and Moreira football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Ambrosini advises Camarda to look at Tresoldi: ‘Needs to play somewhere more realistic’ football-italia.net ↩
- BBC Sport: Liverpool among clubs keen on Vuskovic - Sunday's gossip bbc.co.uk ↩
