Ordine reveals Amorim’s substitution vs. Genoa that sent ‘a message to the owners’

By: Oliver Fisher

Franco Ordine believes that Ruben Amorim’s changes in the game against Genoa served as a message to his superiors.

Milan went into yesterday’s match having lost against Ferencvaros in a Europa League game that once again showed the limitations of the team when rotated. The task of effectively managing work loads is not made easier by the list of injuries.

Pietro Terracciano, Matteo Gabbia, Fikayo Tomori, Alexis Saelemaekers, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Samuel Chukwueze and Strahinja Pavlovic were all out for the match at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris, with the Serbian centre-back being the latest to enter the treatment room.

In today’s edition of Corriere dello Sport (via MilanNews), Ordine analysed Milan’s win at the Marassi. He spoke about how the injury situation has forced Amorim to make certain choices, ones that lay everything bare in view of a potentially important winter transfer window.

“Having also lost Pavlovic, who is one of the most consistent players and the most ‘applied’ in training, they had to improvise Diawara at centre-back and even Musah at left-back,” he said.

“And for those who say the lack of confidence in Estupiñan on this occasion was deserved (he came on with just minutes to go and managed to provoke a free kick at the end of injury time that could have proved fatal), some explanation for the failure to use Bartesaghi would be worth seeking.

“Not only that. Later on, when it became clear that the fatigue accumulated on Thursday against the Hungarians had crushed Milan in the final 20-30 metres, Terracciano emerged from the bench as second centre-back on the left, a right-footed player who has only had a few poor performances so far.

“This is essentially a message to the owners, who have already promised to intervene in the January transfer window to fill the gaps. The point is precisely this: until then, the Portuguese coach must continue with his current strength.

“Of course, after the break, he may be able to recover some of the injured players (Tomori, Pavlovic, Loftus Cheek, perhaps Gabbia), but certainly not Saelemakers and Chekwueze, who will be ready between February and March.

“For this reason, the strengthening plan must unravel another knot that has remained tangled for now: that of Ramos’s deputy. The Portuguese, who yesterday drew applause for his generous assist to Pulisic in the penalty area, seems doomed to play every game, and to the very end, because Camarda is only called upon in rare circumstances.

“Here too, as in the case of Estupiñan, who was not sold, acknowledging the error of judgment made in the summer is a sign of intelligence!”