AC Milan resume their Serie A campaign at Sassuolo with Ruben Amorim ready to field the fullest expression yet of his new side. After three weeks without league football, the Portuguese coach is set to bring together the major summer arrivals and several of the squad’s leading figures, with the aim of giving Milan an immediate lift rather than easing back into the season.
A more ambitious Milan takes shape
Gonçalo Ramos will lead the attack as the most expensive signing in Milan’s history, while captain Mike Maignan returns in goal and Mario Gila, acquired for €30 million despite having entered the final year of his previous contract, is expected in defence.
The most eye-catching change comes in the wide areas. Diego Moreira is in line to start on the left, with Samuel Chukwueze on the opposite flank. It would be the first time Amorim has used the pair as his two starting wide men, a selection made possible in part by Alexis Saelemaekers’ injury and in part by the coach’s wish to accelerate the team’s progress after the international break.
- Moreira has scored in three successive league matches, each time after coming on as a substitute.
- His only previous start this season came away to Juventus, when he was used in a deeper position.
- The Belgian recently played on the left for his national team, and will now be asked to attack from that side from the opening whistle.
- RedBird chief Gerry Cardinale underlined the club’s faith in Moreira, saying he was pleased to have paid €50 million for him.
Amorim sees a difference between the two sides of Moreira’s game. “On the left he is more direct; on the right he looks more for combinations and one-versus-ones,” the Milan coach said.
From the old shape to new attacking options
Earlier in the campaign, Amorim had effectively ruled out using Moreira and Chukwueze together on the wings while Milan were still looking for balance. At that point, the side appeared tied to a 3-4-2-1 structure. The switch to a 4-4-1-1 against Lecce, however, has widened the coach’s options.
That adjustment brought what Amorim described as “much more movement in the first phase of build-up”, and the Sassuolo trip may offer another test of a formation designed to supply the penalty area more consistently. Adrien Rabiot or Yunus Musah could add further forward running from midfield, with Musah favoured over Luka Modric after the Croatian returned tired from international duty.
Amorim acknowledged that the lengthy break could yet prove beneficial, but insisted its value would be judged on the pitch. Milan’s response at Sassuolo will show whether the pause has helped the coach turn a promising tactical alternative into a dependable part of the season.
Pulisic’s freedom and Ramos’ search for a goal
Christian Pulisic is expected to operate behind Ramos, returning to the starting line-up after scoring for Milan shortly before the break. That goal ended a 266-day wait in the Rossoneri shirt, and his previous return from the start coincided with what has arguably been Milan’s strongest display of the early Amorim era.
The American has been given broad licence in Amorim’s attacking design: he can run beyond the forward, receive between the lines, drop into combination play, drift to either wing, seek a through ball or shoot with both feet. Milan believe those qualities can be especially useful for Ramos, who has not scored for the club since the end of August.
Ramos did, though, score in three consecutive appearances for Portugal, offering a reminder of his finishing when service arrives. Amorim’s message is that the team must improve collectively rather than place the burden solely on the Portuguese striker.
“I have to think about what is best for the team, not what is best for one player or another,” Amorim said. “Of course we need to create more chances and get more balls into the box, but not only for Ramos.”
With Portugal, Ramos benefited from greater creativity and closer support around him in attacking moves. Milan hope Pulisic’s movement, the direct running of Moreira and Chukwueze, and the midfield support of Rabiot or Musah can recreate some of those conditions. Ramos, a two-time Champions League winner in Paris, will still be expected to provide the final touch himself.
