At 18:15 in Pescara, Italy Under-21 face Poland in a match that carries the weight of direct qualification for the European Championship. The Azzurrini must win by at least two goals, and the decision at centre-forward has made the evening part of a wider Milan story: Alphadjo Cisse will lead the line, with Francesco Camarda available but not selected to start.
Cisse is not the conventional No. 9 in the squad. He has generally been viewed as an attacking midfielder or support striker, yet Baldini has placed him at the front for a match in which Italy need a substantial result. It reflects the contrasting paths of two young Milan forwards over recent months.
The 2006-born Cisse has taken his opportunities during a surprisingly productive two-month spell with Milan. His late intervention in Armenia recently helped Italy escape a difficult situation, while his club appearances have shown that he can handle the demands of this level. Christian Pulisic’s return may narrow the space available to him in the coming weeks, but Cisse has earned his involvement so far.
Camarda, born in 2008, is in a less settled phase. A right-shoulder injury suffered in January first kept him out of action, and his route back has since been complicated by team selection. With Milan playing only once a week, coach Ruben Amorim has relied consistently on Gonçalo Ramos, who has started throughout that period.
Camarda’s next month at Milan
Amorim has acknowledged that the challenge is to create opportunities across the attacking group, naming Pulisic, Camarda and Cisse among the players he wants to involve more regularly. But he has also made clear that Camarda’s case requires particular care.
Milan opted in the summer to retain the teenager rather than bring in another centre-forward. The intention, Amorim explained, was that Camarda should regard himself as the principal alternative rather than a distant third option. “He needs to feel he is second in the pecking order, so that he can be ready when the moment comes,” the coach said. “That way, he will feel important.”
There is no suggestion that a player one and a half years younger than Cisse should already be part of Milan’s core group of 14 or 15 regulars. Still, the next month will offer a clearer answer on whether Camarda can find a genuine role before the winter window becomes a factor. If minutes and performances arrive, Milan’s decision to keep him will gain strength. If they do not, a loan for the second half of the season will become increasingly difficult to avoid.
