AC Milan are under serious pressure heading into the derby against Inter, and the reasons run deeper than one bad result. The 2-4 home defeat to Bologna on Wednesday was the club's first league loss of the season, and it exposed vulnerabilities that Ruben Amorim cannot easily paper over. With eight players unavailable, Milan were always operating with a depleted squad, but the manner of the defeat, and the injury to Fikayo Tomori during the match, made a difficult situation worse. The club now sit fifth in Serie A with 18 points from nine games, seven behind Inter, and outside the Champions League places.

The good news from Thursday's training session is significant. Mario Gila, Adrien Rabiot, and Diego Moreira all returned to full group training, and both Gila and Rabiot are expected to start the derby. Their absence had forced Amorim into makeshift selections across the previous two rounds, and their return gives the squad a more recognisable shape. Christian Pulisic is also set to return to the starting lineup after being rested against Bologna.

Amorim acknowledged the fatigue factor after the Bologna defeat, pointing to the congested schedule and the number of players missing. But Saturday's match against Inter at San Siro carries enormous weight. A second consecutive defeat would push Milan further from the top of the table and raise real questions about whether this squad can sustain a title challenge across a long season.