Ruben Amorim knows he needs his AC Milan team to create more, and he will rely on two players above all to try and achieve that.

La Gazzetta dello Sport begin their report this morning by stating that Diego Moreira has seized a starting spot on merit, and not just because of Alexis Saelemaekers’ injury. It is something that the €50m summer fee suggested would always happen, but the Belgian is in great form too.

A wild card on the left

Moreira can cover at least two positions, and his quality and dynamism were evident against Sassuolo, when he was among the few players who stood out. He played both as a left-sided attacking midfielder and as a left wing-back too.

He passed these tests at full speed, with his trademark agility, speed and sacrifice. Tomorrow he will be a starter again in the second European match of the season, making his international debut as a starter for Milan after coming on as a substitute for half an hour against Benfica.

He played 11 times for Strasbourg in the Conference League including qualifiers starting five of those games. His international career also includes seven appearances for Belgium, including the last three in the Nations League in which he was a starting eleven.

On the left, Moreira has surpassed everyone, including Saelemaekers even before his injury. This run paralleled his success in the national team, where Diego is now a regular starter and Alexis was left out of the latest round of call-ups.

He has also overtaken Alphadjo Cisse, a revelation at the start of the year, as well as Pervis Estupinan and Davide Bartesaghi if the hole is at wing-back. Incidentally, Diego is also Milan’s top scorer: with his latest goal against Sassuolo, Rabiot has now tied him on three.

While Adrien took 396 minutes to reach his hat trick, Moreira needed just 217 minutes: his average of one goal every 72 minutes is an impressive one that he and Amorim wouldn’t mind maintaining.

The indispensable Pulisic

Moreira will be there, because Amorim’s idea is always to reward merit and form, and only then make calculations for upcoming matches. In Austria tomorrow, the coach will choose the best players, and Christian Pulisic is a must.

Pulisic has already proven himself indispensable on the pitch: two games were enough for him, the last two of the season, against Lecce before the break and against Sassuolo after the break. In between, unusually, Christian remained at Milanello having not been named in the USA squad.

Pulisic was left on the bench for the first three games of the season. He appeared in the second half against Lazio, playing a crucial role (along with Moreira, coincidentally) in the Rossoneri’s comeback from two down.

Starting against Lecce for the first time this season, Chris scored immediately. In Reggio Emilia, he was proactive, but without scoring a second goal. His last European goal, however, came in January 2025 against Dinamo Zagreb.

For him, his area of ​​responsibility remains the same: a right-sided attacking midfielder with plenty of freedom to cut inside, following spaces and the ball wherever he sees fit. His creativity can’t be curbed and the same applies to him as to Moreira: goals are great, but assists would be nice too.

Heading into the trip to Austria, two players are certain: Pulisic and Moreira, plus nine others. Amorim will make his decision after the final training session and the flight to Salzburg: the coach enjoys the full confidence and support of Cardinale and the entire club.

The owners are committed to providing him with the support he needs to build a winning streak, recognizing that this requires time and unity of purpose. This respect was reiterated on the eve of a European match that must be won at all costs, after the disappointing defeat against Benfica.