Christian Pulisic made a decisive contribution to Milan’s derby victory over Inter, but it remains to be seen whether his impressive performance guarantees another starting appearance in the club’s next European fixture. With Ruben Amorim preparing his side for a crucial UEFA Europa League encounter against Ferencvaros, the Portuguese coach is considering several changes as Milan attempts to recover from a disappointing start to their continental campaign.
The Rossoneri return to San Siro encouraged by their latest domestic result, although their European position leaves little room for another setback. Ferencvaros, meanwhile, arrive in Italy with a perfect record after winning their opening three league-phase matches.
Milan produced an impressive display against Inter at the weekend, securing a 3-1 victory in the Derby della Madonnina. Pulisic opened the scoring, before Adrien Rabiot and Diego Moreira added to the advantage and helped Amorim’s side claim another important result against their city rivals.
However, the Rossoneri have struggled to reproduce that form in the Europa League. Defeats against Benfica and Bournemouth, with a 4-0 victory over Salzburg in between, have left the Italian side with three points from their opening three matches.
That return places Milan 24th in the league-phase standings, occupying the final play-off position. With five fixtures remaining, Amorim needs his players to deliver more consistent performances if the club is to avoid an unnecessarily difficult route towards the knockout stages.
Ferencvaros arrive with impressive European record
Ferencvaros present a difficult challenge for Milan, having won all three of their Europa League matches so far. Victories over Celtic, Viktoria Plzen and Torreense have put the Hungarian side on nine points and fifth place in the standings, giving Balazs Borbely’s team a genuine opportunity to qualify directly for the last 16.
Their domestic form has also been impressive. The Greens have reportedly gone 20 consecutive matches without defeat across all competitions, while their recent attacking performances have made them one of the most dangerous sides in the competition.
Thursday’s encounter will be the first competitive meeting between the two sides. The Italian giants previously faced Hungarian opposition in European competition, meeting Gyori in the 1967-68 Cup Winners’ Cup and Szombathelyi Haladas in the 1982 Mitropa Cup.
Will Pulisic feature against Ferencvaros?
Despite scoring against Inter, Pulisic is expected to be among the substitutes when Milan faces Ferencvaros. Amorim is preparing to rotate his squad after the derby and ahead of the upcoming domestic fixture against Genoa, with several younger players in contention for opportunities.
MilanNews’ predicted starting XI suggests that Omari Hutchinson and Alphadjo Cisse could feature in the wide positions, while Adrien Rabiot is expected to operate behind Goncalo Ramos. Francesco Camarda is another option in attack, although Ramos appears to be the preferred choice to lead the line.
Christian Pulisic of AC Milan
Pulisic’s expected absence from the starting XI would therefore appear to be a selection decision rather than a consequence of his performance against Inter. His contribution in the derby has strengthened his case for regular involvement, but Amorim has other priorities as he manages the squad across multiple competitions.
Milan will also have to cope with several absences. Mike Maignan is suspended following his red card against Bournemouth, meaning Lorenzo Torriani is expected to start in goal, while Fikayo Tomori, Matteo Gabbia, Alexis Saelemaekers and Samuel Chukwueze remain unavailable.
