Milan head into the resumption of Serie A with confidence building after a convincing 3-0 home win over Lecce before the break, a result that lifted the mood at Milanello and left the club fifth in the table with 11 points from five games. Ruben Amorim used the international break to refine his tactical approach, with the 4-4-2 shape deployed against Lecce drawing positive reviews, particularly the roles given to Mario Gila at left back and Adrien Rabiot in central midfield. Those adjustments point to a manager still shaping his system but doing so with growing clarity.

The main concern heading into Sunday's away fixture at Sassuolo is the fitness of Alexis Saelemaekers. The Belgian winger suffered a right ankle sprain in training during the break and is unlikely to start, forcing Amorim to consider alternatives such as Moreira or Cisse in the attacking midfield positions. It is a setback for a player who had just begun to find his rhythm after a positive cameo against Benfica and a starting role against Lecce.

Amorim also addressed the management of Luka Modric during the break, acknowledging the Croatian's exceptional training standards while signalling that his minutes will need to be carefully handled. Gonçalo Ramos, meanwhile, scored for Portugal against Norway in the Nations League, a timely confidence boost for a striker yet to fully deliver in Serie A.