AC Milan are under real pressure heading into Saturday's Derby della Madonnina after suffering their first Serie A defeat of the season, a 2-4 home loss to Bologna that dropped them to fifth in the table, seven points behind champions Inter. The result exposed genuine problems across the squad, with Fikayo Tomori's injury during that game adding to an already stretched defensive unit that had been without Mario Gila and Adrien Rabiot for two consecutive matches. The good news is that Gila and Rabiot have returned to training alongside Diego Moreira, and both are expected to start against Inter, giving Amorim meaningful reinforcements at a critical moment.

Off the pitch, owner Gerry Cardinale moved quickly to steady the mood, publicly backing Amorim and confirming the club will strengthen the squad in January. Christian Pulisic has also signed a contract extension through 2031, a sign of confidence in the project despite the difficult run of form. Amorim himself struck a candid tone in his pre-derby press conference, acknowledging that building a cohesive squad takes time while insisting the pain of defeat remains a real motivator.

The derby arrives at a delicate moment. Milan have not lost a derby in seven consecutive official matches, but the gap to Inter in the table and the recent 3-0 Europa League defeat at Bournemouth mean the pressure on this fixture is significant. A positive result could reset the mood entirely. Another setback would deepen the scrutiny on Amorim's project.