Ramos Returns to Milan Training as Amorim Weighs Udinese Starting XI Options

FolioPitch.com – 23 October 2026 | Gonçalo Ramos has handed Milan a timely fitness boost ahead of Sunday’s Serie A trip to Udinese, with the Portuguese striker completing a full training session on Friday. The positive development means that Ramos returns to Milan training as Amorim assesses options for Udinese clash, though it remains unclear whether the forward will be handed a starting berth at the Bluenergy Stadium.

Ramos was forced to sit out Thursday’s chastening 3-0 Europa League defeat to Bournemouth after picking up a minor calf problem. However, medical tests carried out in the aftermath of that setback did not reveal any lesion, clearing the way for the former Benfica and Paris Saint-Germain man to rejoin his teammates on the grass. His availability provides a welcome selection headache for Ruben Amorim, whose attacking plans were exposed during a dispiriting European night at San Siro.

With Ramos returns to Milan training as Amorim assesses options for Udinese clash dominating the agenda at Milanello, the Rossoneri boss must now decide whether to restore his first-choice No.9 or persist with the experimental approach that faltered against the Cherries. Alphadjo Cisse was deployed as a false nine in midweek, while highly rated teenager Francesco Camarda watched the entire match from the substitutes’ bench. Neither solution delivered the required cutting edge, leaving Amorim to ponder a return to a more orthodox attacking structure.

According to reports in Italy, Ramos will be available for selection on Sunday, but a starting role is far from guaranteed. The coaching staff are conscious of the need to manage his workload carefully following a recent injury scare, and a place among the substitutes could be the more prudent course of action. Should Amorim opt against starting the Portuguese international, Gazzetta dello Sport suggests that Christian Pulisic could be trialled as a false nine against the Friulani.

The United States men’s national team captain was an unused substitute in the Bournemouth reverse and has found himself on the periphery of late. Deploying Pulisic through the middle would offer mobility and link-up play, though it would strip Milan of his customary threat from the flanks. The dilemma is precisely the kind of tactical conundrum that Ramos returns to Milan training as Amorim assesses options for Udinese clash encapsulates, with the coach weighing risk against reward ahead of a crucial domestic fixture.

Milan’s Serie A form has been a source of considerable encouragement. The Rossoneri are unbeaten in seven league matches this season, recording four victories and three draws. That consistency has kept them in contention at the upper end of the table, and Amorim will be eager to protect that record on Sunday. By contrast, their European campaign has been far less convincing, with two defeats in three Europa League outings, including the comprehensive loss to Bournemouth that exposed defensive frailties and a lack of attacking cohesion.

The contrasting fortunes underline the importance of getting the attacking selection right against Udinese. Milan’s domestic solidity has been built on a balanced approach, and the return of a natural centre-forward in Ramos would restore a focal point that was conspicuously absent on Thursday. The 24-year-old has the capacity to stretch defences, hold up play and convert the kind of chances that went begging against the Premier League side.

Amorim is expected to make a final decision following Saturday’s training session, with the coaching staff monitoring Ramos’s response to his first full workout since the calf complaint. The player himself is understood to be desperate to feature, but the medical department will have the final say on whether he is ready for the rigours of a full 90 minutes.

As the build-up continues, the narrative surrounding Ramos returns to Milan training as Amorim assesses options for Udinese clash continues to evolve, with every training update scrutinised by supporters and pundits alike. The striker’s return is unquestionably a positive, yet it also presents Amorim with a delicate balancing act between immediate results and long-term player welfare.

In conclusion, Milan travel to Udinese with renewed attacking options but lingering uncertainty over their ideal forward configuration. Ramos’s recovery from a minor calf issue offers Amorim a proven alternative to the false-nine experiment that struggled in Europe, while Pulisic and Camarda provide further possibilities. The coach’s decision will be shaped by fitness data, tactical preference and the need to preserve an impressive unbeaten league run. Whatever the outcome, the return of Gonçalo Ramos has transformed the pre-match conversation and given Milan supporters genuine cause for optimism ahead of a pivotal Serie A encounter.