Мilan's first friendly of the summer against Celtic comes with Amorim missing 12 members of his senior group.
This is the very start of the road for the Rossoneri, and it shows. Celtic have three friendlies in the legs already and their league campaign kicks off in just over a week, while this is Milan's opening hit-out of the entire summer. That imbalance in fitness matters, but so does the shape of the squad Amorim has actually taken to Scotland. With so many first-team names still working their way back or joining later on the Australia leg of the tour, this is a game built for the fringe players and the academy kids to put themselves in front of the new coach early.
The 27 who travelled:
Goalkeepers: Bouyer, Pittarella, Torriani. Defenders: Athekame, Karaca, Terracciano, Bartesaghi, Gila, Pavlović, Tomori, Gabbia, Odogu, Vladimirov. Midfielders: Fofana, Loftus-Cheek, Musah, Ricci, Comotto, Ossola, Vos. Forwards: Chukwueze, Cissé, Guernier, Yahya Idrissi, Borsani, Camarda, Kostić.
The 12 absentees break down into three groups. There are the injuries and knocks: Pervis Estupiñan went back to Milanello, Pietro Terracciano (the goalkeeper) has a hip contusion, Christopher Nkunku has a muscle strain from a contusion, and Christian Pulisic and Santiago Giménez are due back at Milanello on July 29th. Then there are the staggered arrivals: Gonçalo Ramos and Rafael Leão join up in Perth on July 29th, with Koni De Winter, Ardon Jashari and Alexis Saelemaekers following on August 2nd. Mike Maignan and Adrien Rabiot come in latest of all, on August 12th at Milanello.
The name most worth watching is Camarda. With Giménez still absent and Ramos not yet in camp, the 17-year-old is the senior striking option here, and minutes against a Celtic side already ticking over are a real audition rather than a token run-out. Ricci and Athekame, two of the summer's fresh faces, also get an early look under the man who will decide their season.
Read too much into a July result and you'll regret it, but read the team sheet closely and you'll learn who Amorim actually trusts when the season starts for real.