For AC Milan, the time has come to make choices regarding the players that they no longer deem to be a part of the plans.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) write, Ruben Amorim cannot continue working with a group of over 30 players as was the case in Perth. That is why the injured Mario Gila and four youngsters did not travel to Jakarta for the final friendly, and further cuts are coming.
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Organising daily training sessions is difficult enough under such conditions, but just imagine facing an entire season with so many unhappy faces in the dressing room, plus players potentially left off the Serie A and/or Europa League squads.
It is better, then, to take immediate action and have frank conversations with those who do not feature in the Rossoneri’s plans. Amorim has been clear on this point: “Next week will be the time for decisions, and we will make them. We have a large squad and need to decide what to do with certain players.”
Time to make cuts
Warren Bondo was left behind to train at Milanello so he is certainly not in Amorim’s plans, nor are Zachary Athekame and David Odogu who did not play in the last two friendlies, despite having trained with their teammates in the days prior. Athekame is on the verge of a loan move to Lyon.
Then there are Fikayo Tomori, Youssouf Fofana, Pervis Estupinan, Yunus Musah, Santiago Gimenez (keep an eye on Porto), Samuele Ricci, Filippo Terracciano and Alphadjo Cisse who could all leave. Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Samuel Chukwueze seem to be players the coach sees as useful.
Rafael Leao is a special case: he wants to stay and has regained his smile with his team-mates, yet the club continues to view him as a player who could be sold if the right bid comes in. For the rest, offers are awaited.
Maignan- Gila, Van Dijk, Pavlovic- Saelemaekers,
Modric, Rabiot, Guerreiro- Soule, Pulisic- Ramos.
Torriani- De Winter, Gabbia, Diawara- Terracciano,
Comotto, Ardon, Bartesaghi- Chukwueze, Nkunku- Camarda.
Terracciano, Musah, Ricci, RLC, Gimenez (23-27)
Maignan (Torriani, P. Terracciano)
Gila (De Winter)
ONE (Gabbia)
Pavlovic (Diawara)
Saelemaekers (F. Terracciano)
Modric (Comotto, Ricci)
Rabiot (Ardon, Musah)
TWO (Bartesaghi)
THREE (Chukwueze)
Pulisic (Nkunku, RLC)
Ramos (Camarda, Gimenez)
Maignan- Gila, MISTER X, Pavlovic- Saelemaekers,
Modric, Rabiot, Hernandez- Leao, Pulisic- Ramos.
Torriani- De Winter, Gabbia, Diawara- Terracciano,
Comotto, Ardon, Bartesaghi- Chukwueze, Nkunku- Camarda.
Terracciano, Musah, Ricci, RLC, Gimenez (23-27)
Maignan- Gila, MISTER X, Pavlovic- Saelemaekers,
Modric, Rabiot, Hernandez- Pulisic, Leao- Ramos.
Torriani- De Winter, Gabbia, Diawara- Terracciano,
Comotto, Ardon, Bartesaghi- Chukwueze, Nkunku- Camarda.
Terracciano, Musah, Ricci, RLC, Gimenez (23-27)
Pulisic and Leao have switched places in the first comment (I know Leao can’t play as a TEN, OFC);
KEEP: Athekame, Fofana and Chukwueze
(I don’t have Athekame and Fofana in my latest formations but that’s because Amorim doesn’t
want them, trying to keep it as real as possible)
ASSES: F. Terracciano, Cisse and Kostic
LOAN: Odogu
SELL: Tomori, Estupinan, Musah, Ricci, Bondo
Loftus-Cheek, Leao and Santi Gimenez
A bit harsh on Terracciano, Cisse and Kostic.
I would keep them (I have my comments to prove that) but they don’t seem to be in Amorim’s plans, this is some neutral (and fair) solution, isn’t it? 😀
Now I see what you mean. I wanted to write assess (evaluate), certainly not this, I would never do that.
*ASSESS
Fofana will be leaving.
Unfortunately.
The reality is, we do not know what we are doing and it will only get worse. And this Amorim guy, ohhh just wait and see :)….
They can keep writing about which players Milan want to get rid of, but if there are no buyers for them, they’re simply going to stay.
And then there are basically only two options: either Amorim tries to force these players into his system, which I really can’t see working particularly well, or he adapts his system to the players he has. But then you’re more or less back to what Allegri was doing, and in that case there wasn’t much point in changing the coach in the first place.
And honestly, with pretty much the same players playing more or less the same system, I don’t really see why Milan should be any better than they were last season.
You can only carry 25 players on a squad in Serie A.
Amorim should have sold Estupinan when there was interest. He simply needed to re-watch Estupinan high/lowlights from last year.
Yes but you have a B list as well.
As far as I’ve seen, the midfield that Fofana played in was still the strongest so far…. I’ll rather play Modric and Fofana in the middle. Let Rabiot and Maignan leave! Their souls have departed! Keep Ricci, Musah & Atekhame. I don’t want to see Comoto play ahead of Ricci again pls!!!
Lol Commot on leg is better than useless Ricci
Fofana before Rabiot? I want Fofana to stay as well but this is nonsense.
They’ll only be a mass exodus if other teams want your players.
Mass exodus but WHO will buy them? The whole point of that is to raise cash to sign new players. So unless somehow they find a team that would splash 20-30mil on either of them theres no point of even hoping for anything.
Mark my words- Fofana, Tomori, Loftus, Leao and Gimenez will all stay here for another season.
It seams no one want to do business with Milan, that’s the reality, everyone sees crises and they will rather cash in on opportunity, i meant low low pricing than coming to enquire about any of our unwanted player, I would rather add one or 2player to fit other system than trying Allegri football and now Amorim nonsense. we don’t need a rigid coach, try other system if there are no player for your style, after all your style has won nothing in the European stage where Milan truly belongs
Amorim has no clue what he is doing.