Amorim has removed four players from Milan's first-team plans, and the reasons behind the decision are now emerging. The names on the list are Fikayo Tomori, David Odogu, Youssouf Fofana and Christopher Nkunku.
A cut group of this kind is unusual in European football, but it is what has been put in place at Milanello during a summer that has swung back and forth for the Rossoneri. Yesterday brought confirmation that the four had been set aside; today the thinking behind it is becoming clearer.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Amorim arrived with a friendly tone but has acted without hesitation since. The manager weighed the technical and tactical case against each player, then spent considerable time studying their impact on the dressing room: behaviour, attitude, commitment, involvement and the influence they carry with teammates.
Odogu's situation stands apart from the other three. In his case there is no question of conduct; he is simply not considered ready to play for Milan yet. Tomori and Fofana, by contrast, are viewed as disruptive presences in the changing room, and that reading weighed heavily against them.
Nkunku's exclusion came down to what Amorim saw on the pitch. The manager demands intensity and total commitment, and the Frenchman did not deliver it to the level required. He has already left Italy, as confirmed yesterday.
For a squad the manager is still shaping to his standards, the message from these four decisions is plain enough. From here, it is Amorim who dictates who stays and who follows Nkunku out the door.