Ruben Amorim offered some indications as to what his team might be for tomorrow night’s European debut against Benfica.
The atmosphere at Milanello was relaxed on the eve of their first Europa League match at San Siro against Benfica, as per Calciomercato.com. Amorim gave a short speech to the team in which he asked his players to put into practice what they’ve been practicing in recent training sessions.
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Plenty of choice for Amorim
The good news is that Milan have a full squad, with Matteo Gabbia back in contention. The Rossoneri vice-captain is expected to be the only new addition to the defensive line-up, with De Winter likely to be rested.
The only absentee is Warren Bondo, who isn’t part of Amorim’s coaching plan and won’t be reinstated despite a written request submitted via certified email by the French midfielder’s lawyers.
Among the most fit players is undoubtedly Samuel Chukwueze. The Nigerian international is in excellent physical shape and is also one of the players who helps the group increase serenity and cohesion, even with the new arrivals.
Luka Modric will start tomorrow’s match on the bench, with Yunus Musah coming in. Ardon Jashari and Adrien Rabiot are competing for the other spot, meaning the former Club Brugge star could return to the starting XI 20 days after his last appearance (against Torino in round one).
Diego Moreira put in a remarkable performance against Lazio with his first career brace, and he will play on the left flank, with Chukwueze on the opposite flank. Gonçalo Ramos will be chasing his first European goal for the club against his former side.
Christian Pulisic will make his debut as a starter in the attacking midfield spot, with Omari Hutchinson potentially the big surprise in the line-up. The Nottingham Forest player loanee is in contention with Alphadjo Cisse.
I like this line-up. At the #10, Hutchinson has great energy and rotating him, Pulisic and Cisse as equals is needed for the next stretch of frequent games.
Similar strategy for the wingbacks – Moreira, Chuk, and Salemaekers (with Bartesaghi able to play both wingback and centerback) should be kept fresh, although Chukwuese seems to be able to run to Parma and back without getting winded.
Playing Hutchinson would allow Pulisic to play on his preferred left with both trequartisti being inverted, so this makes sense on a few levels if we are thinking about what considerations Amorim may be putting into it. I think any combination of Puli/Hutch/Cisse with Musah in midfield is set up to press like hell. Hopefully we see ACM controlling the ball and creating scoring chances.
Hopefully El Stupido and Loftus Chick will start tomorrow!
I always worry about Amorim’s stubbornness. Clearly it has shown itself regarding the playing time of RLC and Estonian. It has also shown up on wingback choices, first insisting the Moreira play on the right, and second to take the stance that Saelemaekers cannot play wingback. In my mind he’s clearly the third best wingback on this team. Will Amorim be stubborn on this?
Let’s see who’s gonna defend in such a line up with 4 wingers on the field