Ruben Amorim says Milan lacked energy after Bologna defeat

Ruben Amorim said AC Milan's 4-2 home defeat to Bologna was decided by fatigue as much as anything else. Speaking after AC Milan vs Bologna, he said the team looked tired from the first minute and that the first league defeat of the season came with the Derby della Madonnina only three days away.

The fatigue argument

"We have many matches and many players out. It was difficult from the first minute. I felt that the team was tired, without energy," Amorim told A Bola in comments translated from Portuguese. He added that Milan were beaten because they "lacked energy", not because of the injuries, and said a coach only two months into the job cannot expect a new style to last for 90 minutes yet.

The numbers in the match fit his complaint. Alphadjo Cissè scored twice for Milan, but Bologna still left San Siro with a 4-2 win after Samuel Mbangula Tshifunda scored three. Tomori was lost at half-time through injury, which only added to the disruption.

The derby coming quickly

Amorim also told Sky Sport Italia that Milan may recover a couple of players before the derby, though he stopped well short of sounding certain about who will be available. He said the squad will be assessed before the weekend and that the team simply has to adapt.

That uncertainty matters because the derby against Inter is next Saturday, and the defeat leaves Milan on 18 points from 9 Serie A matches. They sit fifth, so this is not a crisis, but it does narrow the margin for error before a game that rarely gives a manager much room to settle in.

Amorim's read is clear enough: the loss was about energy and rotation limits, not a single injury or one bad half. Milan now have three days to recover before facing Inter, with Tomori among the players who will be assessed again before kick-off.