Contributions, changes and messages: How Milan’s 16 internationals fared in the October break
AC Milan had almost their entire squad away for the international break, both a positive and a negative, but how did they fare?
Before the break, it was well talked about how Milan would be dismantled during the break. Indeed, they had the most international representatives in Serie A and their mid-break training camp consisted of 12 players.
They had 15 first-teamers departing (and Zachary Athekame), though, and whilst there were still some important faces at Milanello, Ruben Amorim certainly would’ve liked the opportunity to manage his stars a little better ahead of a hectic period of club football.
It’s best to just dive in.
Diego Moreira and Koni De Winter – Belgium
One of the best international breaks of the squad came from Moreira, who featured heavily. Against Italy, he had a fantastic game on the right wing, leading to (more) questions about his future position. Then, he was solid enough against France in both games, creating problems in both games.
De Winter, unfortunately, was an unused substitute in all of the games.
Mike Maignan and Adrien Rabiot – France
In the France goal, Maignan was near-flawless as his excellent start to the season continued. He kept clean sheets against Türkiye and Belgium – creating a three-game run of invincibility – but in France’s game against Italy, he conceded to Bastoni. Nevertheless, a very good international break for him.
The same cannot be said for Rabiot, though. Before the break, it was assumed that he’d continue to be vital for Zinedine Zidane, but it wasn’t the case. Instead, reports suggested that he wasn’t suited to the new coach’s playstyle.
It somewhat showed too, as he only played two minutes in the final game of the campaign. A situation to watch, maybe.
Luka Modric – Croatia
Modric featured in all four of Croatia’s games during the Nations League in what was a pretty rough fortnight. He scored a winner against Czechia in the first matchday, but then his side conceded 13 goals in three games, including a 7-0 battering by England.
Goncalo Ramos – Portugal
On the other hand, you then have Ramos, who potentially enjoyed the best form of his recent career. The striker left with an assist and hoped to keep on that same high, which he certainly did.
Despite the situation with Cristiano Ronaldo, Ramos gave a reason to forget about everything, scoring three times and getting an assist in four games. It’s form that must be taken back to Milanello and Amorim will hope to see more of it against Sassuolo!
Strahinja Pavlovic – Serbia
Pavlovic’s break was anything but, especially with him limping off the field against the Netherlands. Thankfully, the injury worries were settled quickly and it was deemed to be fatigue. However, it didn’t really have much impact.
He played 25 minutes against Germany a few days later and returned as a starter, playing 90 minutes against the Dutch in the reverse fixture. Not ideal for a player suffering from fatigue and Amorim will have to manage him smartly…
Ardon Jashari and Zachary Athekame – Switzerland
With the Swiss duo, Jashari’s importance was proved again as he played 300 minutes across the four games, being named as a starter in three of those. An uneventful break for him, but it would look uneventful for anyone in comparison. Nevertheless, that’s not a bad thing. After all, he’s becoming more of a regular in midfield, which is only positive.
Of course, the comparison is Athekame, whose rise was only further cemented in this break. If his experience in France wasn’t enough, he also added two assists on the international stage, keeping three clean sheets in the process.
Generally, it was a really solid break for the Swiss duo, especially with them winning all four games.
Samuel Chukwueze – Nigeria
For Chukwueze, it was a disappointing break in the AFCON qualifiers. He played an uneventful 60 minutes against Madagascar, but was then left on the bench for the 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau. Given the amount of minutes he’ll probably play this month, though, it may be a good thing.
Yunus Musah – USA
Gifted the number 10 shirt, Musah’s return to prominence was proven by his call-up and Mauricio Pochettino looked to him in three of the States’ four games. A starter in the first, it was more a chance for the midfielder to return to the mix, rather than being a standout.
Pochettino’s side won all four of their games and whilst Musah didn’t contribute to any goals, he has confirmed himself as an option moving forward in the Argentine’s double pivot.
Pervis Estupinan – Ecuador
It was an eventful international break for Estupinan, who seemed likely to be returning as an injured player. However, those fears have been somewhat averted. In terms of his actual performances, he was poor against South Korea, picking up a yellow card as Ecuador lost 3-0.
But he played a part in keeping a clean sheet against Japan, so there are some positives. The biggest positive, though, is that he’s not injured for the long term.
The Kids
Davide Bartesaghi, Francesco Camarda and Alphadjo Cisse – Italy U21
The only Italian national team representatives were the Diavolo’s starlet trio; it’s no shock at this point, unfortunately. Davide Bartesaghi played the full 90 minutes against Poland, where Italy won 6-2 to book a space in the Under-21 European Championship, whilst he also got a goal against Empoli’s Primavera.
Francesco Camarda also scored against Empoli, leading to a start against Armenia. However, it was a quiet game – as was the one against Poland where he came off the bench, unable to add to the scoring.
In fact, that final game saw Alphadjo Cisse start as the striker, after his last-minute winner against Armenia. He got a hat-trick against Empoli and looked dangerous against Poland, even if he didn’t add to his goal tally. Certainly the strongest international campaign of the Italians.
Valeri Vladimirov – Bulgaria U21
It was an interesting campaign for Vladimirov; he was brought into the team as a starter after a fantastic second-half performance against Portugal. However, the games against Czechia and Scotland were not as strong, with Bulgaria losing both, conceding three goals with no response.
Nevertheless, some important minutes in the tank.
