Ruben Amorim's Milan will be without two significant attacking threats when they face Celtic in Glasgow on July 25, a friendly that was always going t...
Ruben Amorim's Milan will be without two significant attacking threats when they face Celtic in Glasgow on July 25, a friendly that was always going to test the depth of a squad still taking shape. GoalZaza can confirm that Christopher Nkunku and Pervis Estupinan have been left out of the travelling party, a decision that raises eyebrows given the importance of building rhythm in pre. season.Any manager will tell you that these July friendlies are about more than just the scoreline. They are about sharpening the tactical flexibility of the unit, about bedding in new patterns of play, about giving the fans a glimpse of what might be. To leave out a player of Nkunku's clever movement and Estupinan's overlapping energy is a calculated gamble. One wonders if Amorim is prioritising a low block approach for this specific fixture, or if he is simply protecting his most valuable assets from the Glasgow turf.Celtic Park is never a forgiving place to go, even for a friendly. The atmosphere will be fierce, the tackles will be committed, and the home side will look to exploit any lack of cohesion in the Milan ranks. Without Nkunku's ability to drift into the half spaces and Estupinan's natural width on the left, Milan may find themselves relying heavily on transitional play and the clinical finishing of whoever leads the line. It will be a stern examination of the squad's adaptability.What this means for the starting eleven is a chance for some fringe players to knock on the door. For those on the periphery, this is their moment to make Amorim think twice. You cannot buy that kind of motivation. A strong performance in the mixer at Celtic Park could shift the internal pecking order. But make no mistake, the absences are a blow. Milan's attacking fluency is still a work in progress, and facing a fired up Celtic without two of your most creative outlets is a proper test of nerve.For the travelling supporters, the concern is simple. We want to see fluidity, we want to see intent. We want to see that the identity Amorim is trying to forge has some substance. If Milan look disjointed against a motivated Celtic side, the questions about squad depth will only grow louder. But if they dig in, find a way, and show some grit, then July 25 might just tell us more about this group than a comfortable win ever could.
