There were question marks about AC Milan’s first choice three-man defence this season. Ruben Amorim has answered them emphatically.

As La Gazzetta dello Sport point out, there are only two other players in the Milan squad that join Mike Maignan in having played every minute of every game so far this season: Koni De Winter and Strahinja Pavlovic.

They don’t have Luka Modric’s class, they’re not as decisive as Adrien Rabiot, they didn’t cost more than €70m like Gonçalo Ramos, but Amorim has made it clear just how valuable they are.

Why do they always play?

First the good answer, then the cynical one. The good one: De Winter and Pavlovic, with their strengths and weaknesses, are functional to Amorim’s style of football.

Pavlovic is useful because he’s aggressive and increases the pressure on the line, De Winter because he knows how to play the ball and isn’t afraid to take risks.

Sure, Pavlovic often carries the ball a bit too much. Yes, De Winter sometimes gets distracted. Overall, however, Amorim trusts them and in return gets solid performances.

Now the cynical answer: there are almost no alternatives. Matteo Gabbia has played well in recent years, but he’s been dragging an ankle problem and has been sidelined. Sankhoun Diawara has never played. Filippo Terracciano started against Benfica and was substituted after 45 minutes.

Gabbia will play more in the coming weeks though, as Amorim will need all his centre-backs given there will be seven games before the end of October upon the return from the break. Speaking of the upcoming period, Pavlovic could also soon sign a new contract with Milan.

Against Lecce, Koni and Strahinja made 162 passes between them. Pavlovic was the Milan player who handled the ball the most, De Winter the third-most. The difficulties of the past, with Pavlovic lost in Fonseca’s back four and De Winter dragged around the pitch by Hojlund in the Supercoppa, are a distant memory.