AC Milan are navigating one of the most turbulent stretches of their season, with a damaging 3-0 defeat at Bournemouth in the Europa League compounding an injury crisis that has stripped Ruben Amorim of six first-team players heading into Sunday's Serie A fixture at Udinese. The loss in England was shaped by Mike Maignan's red card before the half-hour mark, a moment Amorim described as unacceptable from experienced players. Maignan has since publicly apologised, and the club has backed him after he was subjected to racist abuse on social media.

The injury picture has worsened significantly in the days since. Adrien Rabiot, Diego Moreira and Mario Gila all suffered setbacks in training, joining the already-absent Samuel Chukwueze, Alexis Saelemaekers and Matteo Gabbia on the sidelines. The one positive is the return of Gonçalo Ramos, who has recovered from his own injury and is expected to start at Udinese.

The pressure on Amorim is real. Owner Gerry Cardinale has travelled to Udine and plans to remain in Italy through the derby against Inter on October 31, a signal that the club's leadership is watching closely. Milan sit fifth in Serie A with 15 points from seven games, and with the derby approaching, the next week could define the tone of their season.