GdS: Gila ‘irreplaceable’ but Milan’s defence short – why a new attempt for Inacio is coming
Mario Gila has further solidified his claims as being one of the best defenders in Serie A this season, but AC Milan are in a difficult position.
It’s clear that Gila brings a new class to the backline. A reliability across the board which others do not provide. Defensively, class. On the ball, assured. He’s a fantastic player, but Milan are already showing that they cannot do without him.
Doing without Gila
As written in this morning’s edition of Gazzetta dello Sport, seen below, for the 251 minutes that Gila has been on the pitch, the Rossoneri haven’t conceded. In the minutes that he hasn’t been on the pitch, they’ve conceded twice. It cements the eye-test, if you will, that the Spaniard is ‘irreplaceable’ at the back.
However, the depth raises questions. Right now, Koni De Winter, Matteo Gabbia, Pietro Terracciano, Sankhoun Diawara and Fikayo Tomori (eventually) make up the other defensive cover.
With Gila regularly having to come off with small problems – the knee issue at the Allianz, for example – the question of the depth re-emerges and whether there’s strength in the depth available.
Unfortunately, it’s a trend with Gila. At Lazio, his last appearance in Turin ended in the 77th minute; that was in February. From that point – February 2026 – he made 10 more starts, with seven substitute appearances, completing only three games.
January reinforcements
There is no doubt that the Diavolo need their best defender on the pitch for every minute; he’s already becoming a leader in the team for this reason. However, alternatives are scarce with Gabbia’s ankle issue and Tomori’s summer situation.
So, leaders aren’t really a thing in the back three.
For this reason, a January dive into the mercato is expected and Goncalo Inacio is deemed capable of ‘further raising the bar’. He could be a Christmas present for Milan and Ruben Amorim, but the club cannot wait to acquire him. They can’t face another situation like this summer’s.
