Even though AC Milan have a very streamlined squad this season, not everyone is getting significant minutes to show their worth.
As Calciomercato.com point out, Massimiliano Allegri came in and established a 3-5-2. With that, he also locked in a number of key starters from Mike Maignan and the three-man defence to Alexis Saelemaekers out wide, Luka Modric and Adrien Rabiot in the middle, plus Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic up front.
Read SempreMilan ad-free and get access to exclusive news. Click here for a free trial!
Those less used
So, what about the so-called ‘supporting cast’? Well, Milan are the team that makes the fewest substitutions in Serie A and by some distance. Allegri provided an impassioned response to a question about not making many changes in his pre-Lazio press conference.
More specifically, the players that are not being used as much includes Koni De Winter – acquired last summer for around €20m from Genoa – who has played only when Fikayo Tomori was suffering from a knee injury.
He also has some substitute appearances, but so far he has racked up just 345 minutes in Serie A, plus 90 minutes in the Coppa Italia against Lecce. De Winter, despite his limited playing time, is considered an important player by the entire coaching staff.
It’s a different story for David Odogu, who played only 11 minutes in the Coppa Italia without having made his Serie A debut. Allegri likes Odogu because of his hard work in training, but he will leave in January to gain valuable loan experience.
Zachary Akhetame has played sparingly (108 minutes in Serie A and 29 minutes in the Coppa Italia), but he did manage to score the equaliser in the 93rd minute against Pisa. He’ll remain with Milan, albeit in a more defined role: as Saelemakers’ back-up, after he recovers from injury.
Ardon Jashari has played only 16 minutes but this is almost entirely because of the fibula fracture he suffered at the end of August. The Swiss is destined to become an asset for Allegri, especially given the significant €36m investment to sign him.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek has so far been given little opportunity, despite the manager’s reported appreciation for him. The Englishman has amassed 363 minutes in Serie A with one goal in 10 appearances, plus 156 in the Coppa Italia. His deal expires in 2027, so his situation is one to watch.
Having arrived at AC Milan last summer with a significant amount of expectations, Christopher Nkunku has yet to find the key to establishing himself. Allegri is encouraging him and publicly supporting him because he’s aware of the Frenchman’s talent, but he is considered a ‘luxury reserve’.
The data confirms his status: just 264 minutes in the league with a paltry one assist. Nkunku has the experience and technical ability to overcome this situation before it becomes permanent and could have repercussions on the transfer market.
These are all important players for us with the squad depth being so thin. It only takes a key injury for one of them to become an essential starter.
Less-used or useless? 🤔
Both apply at least to Nkunku.