Pervis Estupinan remains one of Milan’s unsettled selections, a player whose importance to Ruben Amorim has not entirely softened the doubts around him. He has already had his defining afternoon in a derby, an achievement that can secure a lasting place in supporters’ memories, yet his relationship with the crowd is still shaped more by costly mistakes and the sense that his arrival has not fully met expectations.
The latest example came against Lazio, when Cancellieri’s goal was largely traced back to Estupinan’s error. Amorim acted at the interval, replacing the Ecuadorian with Diego Moreira, whose introduction altered the match. It was the kind of moment that explains the impatience around Estupinan: when his performances dip, the consequences tend to be visible.
Why Amorim continues to trust Estupinan
Even so, Estupinan has started four of Milan’s first five league fixtures, beginning against Torino, Juventus, Lazio and Lecce. Amorim’s reasoning is partly tactical. In his 3-4-2-1, Estupinan is considered the more useful option in the opposition half when compared with Davide Bartesaghi, particularly because he can take on an opponent directly rather than relying only on delivery.
Bartesaghi has offered more successful crosses, averaging 1.51 per game last season against Estupinan’s 0.69, but the Ecuadorian brings a different range in possession. His experience also carries weight within a side still adjusting to its coach. Estupinan has spent three seasons in the Premier League and three in La Liga, while his international career includes appearances at two World Cups. In that regard, he holds a clear advantage over Bartesaghi.
Moreira’s second-half impact against Lazio has nevertheless strengthened the sense that he may soon claim a regular place. Yet the tactical adjustment seen against Lecce complicates that prospect. Milan widened Gila and at times resembled a back four, with Estupinan operating as a conventional left-back rather than a wing-back.
Amorim has indicated that his plans will change depending on the opponent, so the variation against Lecce is not expected to become a permanent structure. But a deeper role would not necessarily favour Moreira, whose strongest qualities are less suited to full-back duties and whose defensive exposure would increase there. If that position becomes the reference point, the competition is more likely to concern Bartesaghi and Estupinan.
For now, despite the criticism and the pressure created by Moreira’s emergence, Estupinan remains the leading candidate to start when Milan face Sassuolo. His place is not secure in the longer story of Amorim’s Milan, but it still appears to be his to lose this weekend.
