Amorim discusses ‘almost impossible’ selection and conversation with Maignan

AC Milan head coach Ruben Amorim has admitted the schedule makes it ‘almost impossible’ to manage the workloads of his players.

Amorim has opted to make a number of changes to the starting line-up from the team that lost to Bournemouth on Thursday night. Sankhoun Diawara and Omari Hutchinson got their first Serie A starts, while Goncalo Ramos and Christian Pulisic came in to spearhead the attack.

Having so many injury issues with such a tight schedule does not help things, especially given that Mario Gila, Adrien Rabiot and Diego Moreira became the latest trio to enter the treatment room after the defeat in England.

Amorim spoke to DAZN not long before kick-off in Udinese, answer questions on his selection decisions and some of the key individuals. MilanNews relayed his words.

There are many absences. Rabiot, Gila, Moreira… Is this a precautionary decision?

“They couldn’t play. We have to manage the players. With this schedule, it’s almost impossible. We have to manage everything, and they’re not available today.”

Diawara and Tomori started for the first time in Serie A today…

“We know Udinese plays with five men, so we’ll try to defend like that, but in a different way. The important thing is how the players rotate. I try to choose players who are physically available and have the right characteristics.

“Maybe if I had everyone available, I would have played differently, but today I feel like this is the best starting eleven to start the match. To start the game, not to finish it.”

What did you tell Maignan?

“They’re not boys, they’re men. And Maignan understood that he can’t do things like that; we can’t put ourselves in these positions. I had a conversation with him, just like I had with everyone else.

“I have the feeling that the start of the Bournemouth match had nothing to do with tactical or technical reasons. It’s not that they were better than us or more technically advanced, they were more competitive.

“Sometimes we just have to focus on being competitive and forget about playing well or elegantly. Sometimes we need to approach matches differently.”

Is Ramos fully recovered?

“He’s ready to play. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be here. He had a problem during the week, he was checked, and now he’s here. We need every player we put on the field. Those on the bench are ready to come on. So if he’s here, it’s because he’s ready to play.”