Ruben Amorim plans to accelerate the implementation of his 3-4-2-1 system against Benfica on Wednesday, with the first half against Lazio convincing him that personnel changes are overdue, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.
The opening 45 minutes at the Stadio Olimpico laid bare a problem Amorim can no longer solve from the bench. Substitutions rescued the result in Rome, just as they broke deadlocks against Torino, Venezia and Juventus, but four games into the Serie A campaign the coach wants his preferred XI on the pitch from the start, not introduced at half-time.
The biggest shift will come in the two attacking midfield slots behind Goncalo Ramos. Ruben Loftus-Cheek was tried there again and again looked unable to match the tempo Amorim demands. Ramos was isolated in the capital for a second time, a pattern that concerns the coaching staff. In his place, Amorim wants two technical, close-quarters creators who can combine quickly, free space for the centre-forward and keep the ball moving through tight areas.
Christian Pulisic made his case emphatically in the second half at the Olimpico, showing desire and sharpness that all but guarantee him a starting berth. Alongside him, Alphadjo Cisse has two goals in four official matches and has already proven he belongs at this level. Then there is Omari Hutchinson, who announced himself on Saturday with a long-range effort saved by Mandas and a couple of direct dribbles. If Hutchinson can recapture his form from two seasons ago, the centre-right role could become his. Whether he earns a first start on Wednesday remains to be seen. Alexis Saelemaekers is another option in that zone, though Amorim appears more inclined to use him as a wing-back.
Out wide, the transformation was just as visible once Samuel Chukwueze and Diego Moreira entered the fray against Lazio. Both are attack-minded, and their presence changed Milan's identity, pinning Lazio back and creating width the first-half selection lacked. Fielding both together every week may not be realistic for balance reasons, but the direction of travel is clear. With Pervis Estupinan struggling on the left and Davide Bartesaghi offering more going forward than defending, Saelemaekers could settle into a full-flank role. When Moreira shifts right, the former Roma man could move left, giving Amorim two inverted wingers capable of cutting inside and curling crosses into the box.
The double pivot is settling around Yunus Musah and Adrien Rabiot. Musah changed the game in Rome and had already performed well in the three matches before it. Rabiot looked more comfortable as a mezzala, the role he filled for France at the 2022 World Cup, than he did when asked to press high as an attacking midfielder. Ardon Jashari and Luka Modric complete the midfield options. Amorim was explicit about the Croatian's usage: Modric will be saved for matches where Milan expect to control possession, and he will no longer be asked to exhaust himself in intense pressing phases.
At the back, the three-man defence needs the least surgery. Mario Gila, Koni De Winter and Strahinja Pavlovic already provide the physicality and aggression Amorim wants. Matteo Gabbia will rotate with De Winter in Serie A, while Fikayo Tomori gives Gila a breather in the Europa League. Sankhoun Diawara waits for his moment, with Filippo Terracciano and Bartesaghi also available as emergency centre-backs.
So far Amorim has kept rotation minimal, making only four changes between the Venezia and Juventus games, helped by four-day gaps between fixtures. A similar rhythm applies this week across the Lazio, Benfica and Lecce sequence. October, however, will bring stretches with fewer than 72 hours between matches, and rotation will increase, though always within the tactical framework Amorim is now determined to lock in.
After Saturday's second half showed what his Milan can look like with the right personnel, the next step is making that version the default from kick-off.