Milan have steadied themselves after a turbulent week, beating Udinese 2-0 at the Bluenergy Stadium to move into fourth place in Serie A with 18 points from eight games. The result mattered beyond the three points. Coming four days after a humiliating 3-0 Europa League defeat at Bournemouth, a game shaped by Mike Maignan's first-half red card, the win gave Ruben Amorim's side a platform to rebuild confidence at a moment when owner Gerry Cardinale had flown to Italy specifically to monitor the situation.

What made the performance more striking was the context. Amorim was without Rabiot, Gila, Moreira, Chukwueze and Saelemaekers, forcing him into an unfamiliar 4-4-2 shape with teenager Sankhoun Diawara making his Serie A debut at left back. Players asked to step up delivered. Pulisic scored inside six minutes, Hutchinson added a second after the break, and Diawara, Bartesaghi and Tomori all impressed, giving Amorim genuine selection headaches in a positive sense.

The injury list, though, continues to grow. Ruben Loftus-Cheek picked up a problem during the Udinese match, and the full extent of his absence is still being assessed. Milan now face Bologna at San Siro on Wednesday before the derby against Inter on October 31, two fixtures that will define whether Sunday's result was a turning point or simply a pause in a difficult run.