Costacurta says Estupinan ‘cannot start’ for Milan amid mistakes: “Take a course”

Pervis Estupinan has been rather mistake-prone since joining AC Milan, and as stated by Billy Costascurta, he should remain on the bench until he knows what man-marking is.

When Theo Hernandez left Milan to join Al-Hilal in the summer of 2025, the Rossoneri decided to bring in Estupinan from Brighton as the Frenchman’s replacement. While the Ecuadorian has had a few positive moments, such as the derby, there has been a lot of criticism.

Most recently, Estupinan was responsible for one of the goals against Lazio, perhaps even both depending on how you judge the situation. It resulted in a very low player rating and loads of criticism, but Ruben Amorim backed the player against Lecce last time out.

Costacurta’s advice

In an interview with MilanNews, the legendary Milan defender Billy Costacurta was asked about the players who have struggled so far. He focused on Estupinan and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, stating that the former shouldn’t start until he knows what man-marking is.

Any advice for the individuals?

“If Estupinan makes those mistakes, like on Cancellieri’s goal in the game against Lazio, he cannot start. First, he should take a course regarding marking in the box.

“Loftus-Cheek has enormous potential, but he can do better. Of course, I’m referring to the present. Until they improve and learn, it’s better for them to stay on the bench.”

And what about Amorim?

“The first two months are difficult. I remember that even Sacchi risked getting sacked at the beginning. It’s right to give him time.”