Amorim Reshuffles Milan XI as Maignan Dismissal Triggers Blunt Reality Check
In pre-match declarations delivered ahead of AC Milan’s Serie A fixture at Bluenergy Stadium, head coach Ruben Amorim detailed his squad selection choices following a demanding European schedule.
The comments follow a 3-0 UEFA Europa League loss to Bournemouth on October 22, where an early red card and subsequent physical setbacks depleted the squad. With multiple first-team members sidelined, Amorim outlined the tactical and physical adjustments required for the trip to Udinese.
AC Milan
clubAmorim Explains Selection Adjustments amid Mounting Injury List
Addressing the forced rotation in his starting lineup, Amorim explained the necessity of balancing player workload across a congested fixture calendar.
“They cannot play, it’s just not possible. We need to manage the players, and there are players here today too where we need to manage their minutes. With this schedule, it’s impossible to use everyone at the same time. Because we need to try to win every game, we need to balance everything, and they are not available for today.”
The decisions were directly impacted by fresh injuries to Adrien Rabiot, Mario Gila, and Diego Moreira, who joined existing absentees Samuel Chukwueze, Matteo Gabbia, Alexis Saelemaekers, and Pietro Terracciano on the sidelines. The resulting adjustments paved the way for defender Fikayo Tomori and midfielder Sankhoun Diawara to make their first Serie A starts of the campaign, as Milan sought to counteract Udinese‘s five-man defensive unit.
Mike Maignan
playerAmorim Demands Greater Competitiveness After Maignan Red Card
When asked about the early dismissal of goalkeeper Mike Maignan for a shove on Bournemouth’s Tyler Adams during midweek action, Amorim confirmed he held direct conversations with the squad regarding game management and focus.
“The players are not boys, they are men. Maignan understood right away he cannot do that, we cannot put ourselves in that position. I had a conversation with him, but I had a conversation with everyone. I felt what happened at the beginning with Bournemouth was nothing to do with tactics or technical qualities, because they were not better than us on a technical level, they were more competitive. That is something we see in the first halves in the league too, it’s about how competitive we are. Sometimes we need to forget about playing really nice, we need to approach the game in a different way.”
The loss in England exposed vulnerabilities in match intensity that Amorim insisted must be resolved domestically. With a midweek league fixture against Bologna followed closely by the derby against Inter Milan, the manager stressed that physical readiness and aggressive application must supersede tactical elegance during high-density fixture blocks.
The interview was broadcast on DAZN Italia.