Yunus Musah’s assignment with the United States came with an unusual detail: the Milan midfielder wore the No. 10 shirt in a 4-1 win over Peru, a night on which former Rossoneri forward Gianluca Lapadula scored for the Peruvians. It was a number that did not alter Musah’s role, but it underlined how far his standing has shifted after a difficult spell at Atalanta and a summer spent outside the American squad.
Key takeaways
- Musah started for the United States wearing No. 10 in the 4-1 victory against Peru.
- Christian Pulisic was left at Milanello to continue his recovery work after returning to fitness.
- Musah operated alongside Tyler Adams in the American side’s 4-2-3-1.
- At Milan, Musah has started every match apart from the games against Lazio and Lecce.
- The United States are due to meet Chile, Mexico and Canada before Milan face Sassuolo on 11 October.
A different place in the American picture
The No. 10 has rarely been an automatic description of a player’s function, and Musah is the latest reminder. Milan have had Franco Baresi wear it for a handful of appearances, while Chievo handed it to goalkeeper Cristiano Lupatelli for two seasons. Even so, seeing a midfielder valued principally for running, recovery and carrying the ball take that number for the United States was striking.
At the World Cup in June, Musah had not been selected after an underwhelming season at Atalanta. The shirt then belonged to Pulisic, who was forced off after an hour of the last-16 tie with Belgium through injury. Now the positions have been reversed. Pulisic has only recently returned to fitness, and Mauricio Pochettino chose not to call him up, allowing the Milan attacker to stay at the training ground.
Musah, meanwhile, has been restored to prominence. He played centrally against Peru next to Adams, providing the athletic work in front of the American defence. Pochettino’s decision has also suited Ruben Amorim, who has quickly found a central place for the 23-year-old in Milan’s season.
Amorim’s midfield certainty
Musah has become one of the first names in Amorim’s Milan selection. He did not begin against Lazio, although he entered at half-time during an emergency situation and changed the direction of the contest. Lecce is the only other match in which he was not in the starting side.
Goals are not the measure of his contribution; they have never come regularly in his game. Amorim instead relies on the distance he covers, his ability to win possession and his capacity to drive forward with the ball. His introduction in Rome raised Milan’s intensity noticeably, giving the side a different energy in midfield.
The coach’s preferred balance appears to start with Musah and Luka Modric as the two central midfielders behind the attacking midfield line, where Adrien Rabiot and Pulisic would be the intended options. For now, though, Pulisic’s priority is Milan and Musah still has international commitments to complete.
The United States will play Chile, Mexico and Canada, with the Canada fixture scheduled in Minnesota during the Italian night between 6 and 7 October. Milan then travel to Reggio Emilia to face Sassuolo on 11 October. With that turnaround in mind, Amorim would hardly object if Musah were spared the final friendly.
