GdS: ‘The Diavolo are with Amorim’ – why confidence in the coach remains high
Gerry Cardinale remains fully behind AC Milan head coach Ruben Amorim, and will be in Udine to support the team tonight.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport report, Milan face Udinese with the most injuries they have had all season. Cardinale will be there to watch, aware that Thursday’s blow in Bournemouth was severe and left its mark on the team’s mental and physical health.
With five more matches scheduled before the next international break, the Rossoneri cannot afford to give up and must react immediately when faced with difficulties. The RedBird boss’s trip to Italy – which had been scheduled before the midweek defeat – will see the owner close to the team again.
Amorim has once again found himself in the crosshairs of criticism, but is unwaveringly supported by Cardinale, who appointed him in June and has built a multi-year project with him that he intends to continue.
If the positive tradition with the American in the stands is confirmed at the Bluenergy Stadium (Milan haven’t lost a game he has attended this season), the lead-up to the match against Bologna (Wednesday) and the derby (Saturday) will be less tense.
Injury crisis
Saelemaekers, Gabbia, Pietro Terracciano and Chukwueze were out before the Bournemouth trip and remain sidelined. Amorim has Gonçalo Ramos back, but has lost three starters in Gila, Rabiot and Moreira.
The former was injured against Atalanta, when he was forced to be substituted (for Tomori), and was also unused in England for that reason. The hope was to have him back for tonight, but instead the discomfort in his left ankle will see the medical staff use caution.
The former Lazio player will be available again against Bologna. Rabiot and Moreira, on the other hand, are sidelined by muscle strains. The Belgian’s left flexor is causing him discomfort, as is the Frenchman’s right calf.
The tests they underwent yesterday morning (they were still experiencing pain after Thursday) revealed that both players had edema, but not lesions. In other words, if tonight’s match had been a decisive one, they would have taken the field at risk of injury.
With such a congested schedule, however, the decision was to preserve them and reassess their condition day by day. Moreira could return against Bologna, or at the latest in the derby. Rabiot’s goal is the derby or one of the two pre-break matches against Ferencvaros and Genoa.
Adrien clearly doesn’t want to miss the match against their rivals, but the calf is a delicate muscle, and the risk of a more serious injury – if he weren’t 100% fit – would be real. That’s why his presence on Saturday depends on his response to treatment.
Modric and the others
Amorim will rely on Luka Modric’s experience and leadership tonight to maintain the unbeaten league record, but above all, to end a run of three consecutive away draws in Serie A.
After the 1-1 draw against Juventus, the 2-2 draw at the Olimpico against Lazio, and the 1-1 draw in Reggio Emilia against Sassuolo, the Diavolo need a win away from San Siro to stay in the top four. The Croatian will be protected by two central midfielders to showcase his class as a regista.
Whether the former United manager opts for a 4-3-2-1 or a 4-3-3 remains to be seen. He certainly held his breath yesterday, partly due to the less than perfect physical condition of Pavlovic and Loftus-Cheek, who respectively suffered a knock to the shoulder and a bruise behind the knee.
Both trained, but while the Serbian’s presence is essential at the heart of the defense (he’ll grit his teeth), the Englishman is in contention with Jashari, who is the slight favourite. Hutchinson should be preferred over Cisse and Bartesaghi over Estupinan.
Amorim would have liked to make more substitutions than Thursday, but injuries will force him to make a maximum of four. He’ll ask everyone available to make sacrifices, and Cardinale will push the team forward with his presence.
