After experiencing a bump in the road with two wins in eight matches during October and November, it was once again viewed as a ‘crisis point’ for Milan and raised doubts about Stefano Pioli being fit enough to fill the void on the bench.
Fast forward to the beginning of April, the Rossoneri find themselves comfortably in the driver’s seat for Champions League qualification – six points clear of third place Juventus and 15 points ahead of sixth place Atalanta (who have a game in hand).
As a result, rumours concerning Pioli remaining at the helm are gathering steam as each day passes, an outcome that would be nothing short of well-deserved given his ability to overcome adversity on the pitch as well as fan criticism off it.
So, now what?
With eight rounds left in Serie A, it’s fair to say that the top five is secured and Inter – who have had an almost unbelievable season in terms of results – will not be caught with a 14-point buffer.
Attention should now be lasered toward a deep run at the Europa League and providing Milan with the best chance of claiming their first European trophy in 17 years and their first-ever UEL/UEFA Cup title.
One of the biggest talking points from the Milanello camp in the first part of the season was the huge injury toll sustained, as some went as far as to blame the fitness staff and Pioli for being the root of the problem by not managing their players accordingly. This has been a regular issue since the Silvio Berlusconi era.
The central defensive trio of Fikayo Tomori, Malik Thiaw, and Pierre Kalulu slotting back into the fold after long injury lay-offs has finally given Pioli the rare opportunity to rotate his squad more frequently and effectively, something that must be done if they hope to be crowned Europa League champions.
Jan-Carlo Simić, 18, is a bright prospect who is more than ready to fill in for a handful of the remaining domestic fixtures and be exposed to more first-team minutes, whilst Matteo Gabbia has already demonstrated that he can be relied upon since his return from a short loan at Villarreal where he can lead the back four with confidence.
Exciting 18-year-old Spanish full-back Álex Jiménez should be given more minutes to allow Theo Hernández to gain a much-needed rest whether it be the teenager starting or coming off the bench.
Everyone is aware of Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s unfortunate history with injuries, having suffered from a niggling groin injury earlier in the campaign. Undisputedly Milan’s best midfield performer this season, the Englishman can be afforded a breather thanks to the return of Ismaël Bennacer and the depth of options with Yacine Adli (1,486 minutes in 26 games) and Yunus Musah (1,763 minutes in 33 games) in particular not having played consistently in all competitions.
Up top, Olivier Giroud isn’t getting any younger at 37 – and although he deserves to bow out on a high amidst the recent speculation of a departure to the United States, Noah Okafor and Luka Jović are more than capable of filling in the Frenchman’s boots.
The availability of Samuel Chukwueze, who arguably played his best match in a Milan shirt against Fiorentina on the weekend, is a viable option to maintain his place on the right wing and perhaps experiment with Christian Pulisic being deployed on the left.
With two crunch games against Roma and a potential tie with Bayer Leverkusen (or West Ham) awaiting, Rafael Leão will need his minutes managed as carefully as possible, especially due to finding a new spring in his step.
This is the moment when Milan can choose to reap the rewards of their new signings in the summer and prove once and for all that their talent depth has improved significantly since 2022-23.
The 14 goals scored by Milan in the league with substitutes are the highest this season not only in Italy, but in the ‘top five’ leagues in Europe. It is also a record for the Rossoneri in the era of three points for a win.
Obviously it a number that can easily be increased with nine games still available too, but in short the bench has produced surprises for Pioli and Milan even when it has seemed sparse. Now it is replenished, the game-changing options are finally there.
This isn’t to suggest that Pioli must completely ignore his starters for the rest of the Serie A competition. His key contributors will need to stay fresh and remain match-sharp.
However, they currently have a massive advantage compared to the likes of Liverpool and Leverkusen (to a lesser extent) in challenging for their respective league titles. Team cohesion and chemistry will also be at the forefront of Pioli’s thoughts given Milan’s high-flying form.
Yes, the derby against nemesis Inter in under three weeks will be seen as a must-win considering the humiliating 5-1 defeat late last year, with the dreaded nightmare of the Nerazzurri claiming the coveted second star against their main rivals on every Rossoneri fans’ mind. According to reports, that fixture could have a big say on Pioli’s future.
Ultimately though, Milan is in the box seat to rotate heavily and primarily focus on at the very least, reaching back-to-back European semi-finals – a feat which would’ve been laughed at as a possibility when Pioli took charge of the club.
If the cards are played correctly, Milan may well be booking their ticket to Dublin.
