Vincenzo Montella says AC Milan never considered selling Sunday's Serie A match-winner Suso in the current transfer window.

The former Liverpool man has enjoyed a fine week, scoring against Crotone on the opening weekend and then receiving his first senior Spain call-up before hitting the net again in the 2-1 triumph against Cagliari.

Suso's place in the team could have been in doubt after a number of high-profile signings, but his fine free-kick at San Siro came at a time when the game was getting away from Milan and Montella was thankful for the 23-year-old's input.

"Suso is very important - he is admired by everyone at the club, on the board and on the coaching staff," the coach told Mediaset Premium.

"He has never been on the market. He is a great player."

Montella conceded that Milan struggled against Cagliari but claimed it could prove to be a crucial win given the circumstances.

"It was a tough game, but we expected that," he said. "It came during an important week [after securing Europa League qualification].

"The difficulty was that scoring right away [through Patrick Cutrone after 10 minutes] perhaps eased the tension and the equaliser then gave confidence to Cagliari.

"This was a difficult win, one that could prove decisive in the season."