Milan, the Spanish centre-back is already indispensable for Amorim: in Turin two goals were conceded without him and the club is thinking about the winter market.

After the first three league matches, it can be stated without any doubt that Milan’s summer signing has had the most devastating and evident impact on the team’s performance, namely Mario Gila. A top-player level performance that should not be surprising: besides the undisputed qualities of the Spanish centre-back, the former Lazio defender has had the luck and merit of making himself available to coach Ruben Amorim at Milanello from the very first day of training camp, now reaping the fruits of two intense months of tactical and athletic work.

The data emerging from this start of Serie A tells of a Devil that cannot at all do without its defensive keystone. Of the two goals conceded so far by the Rossoneri, both coming in the away matches in Turin against the two Turin sides between the first and third matchday, both occurred when the Spaniard was no longer on the pitch. This detail was strongly highlighted by the columns of La Gazzetta dello Sport, which raised the alarm with the headline: "Irreplaceable. When Gila is off, Milan suffers. The defence is short."

Team crushed without the Spaniard: for winter there is the “Sprint Inacio”

It is not a simple statistical coincidence: without Gila’s leadership, physicality and sense of position, the Milan defence tends to drop dramatically, exposing the whole team to opponent attacks. The widespread feeling is that, in the long run, the lack of equally-level alternatives in the rear guard could cost Milan dearly.

To address this clear structural weakness, the management is already ready to act. In January the club will most likely return to the market with force to give Amorim a new substantial addition: the priority goal remains the “Sprint Inacio”, a very hot target to shore up the back line.