Inter's Injury Crisis Lightens Up During The International Break

Written By Onyeka Daniel

For reigning Serie A champions, Inter Milan, they went into the international break with a number of injury cases and then other players joined the growing list for the Simone Inzaghi-coached side too over the past few days, but things are now looking positive for the team recently.

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There is a positive update regarding the fitness of Lautaro Martinez, with the striker’s injury not as severe as first feared. As reported by Corriere dello Sport, he has only suffered a minor strain to his left thigh muscle and is not expected to face an extended spell on the sidelines.

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The captain was sent back to Italy from international duty after complaining of the issue last week, and initial tests have ruled out any serious damage, though he is due for a much in-depth examinations tomorrow that would give a better understanding of how long he will be out.

Indeed, there is optimism that the Inter captain can return in time for Inter’s Derby della Madonnina clash against city rivals AC Milan in the Coppa Italia semi-final, with the first leg set to be played on 2 April, but he will not be available for Sunday’s Serie A match against Udinese.

The feeling coming out from Argentina’s camp and Inter’s initial evaluations suggest a return could be imminent. Also, Federico Dimarco is amongst a group of players who are due to return to full training this week, in a welcome boost for the team.

A separate report from Gazzetta dello Sport is reporting the return of Dimarco from a thigh injury. This will see the manager have almost his whole squad available to him and in form for the first time this season.The Italy international missed out on a call-up to the national team during the break.

He stepped up his recovery from the injury he picked up against Napoli and he has now returned to full group training with Inter. Elsewhere, Henrikh Mkhitaryan has also completed full training sessions over the course of the week as he looks to maintain his strong form.

Hence, he will offer the manager options in midfield ahead of a gruelling April fixture list. The veteran Armenian has rolled back the years to flourish in recent weeks, much like 36-year-old centre-back Francesco Acerbi. The ex-Lazio defender has impressed when dealing with physical attacking players.

So, he is likely to be called upon to handle the towering Lorenzo Lucca when Inter face Udinese in Serie A this coming weekend when League actions resumes after the international break. With all three set to be available, Inzaghi has almost a full-strength squad to call upon as Nicola Zalewski is also expected to return.

It will be only Martinez and Denzel Dumfries that are currently ruled out. To replace them, the return of Matteo Darmian is also a huge boost while the likes of Marcus Thuram, Marko Arnautovic, Mehdi Taremi and Joaquin Correa should carry the attack in Lautaro’s absence.

Meanwhile, Udinese defender Jaka Bijol has re-emerged as Inter’s primary defensive target for the upcoming summer transfer window. The Slovenia international is being closely monitored by the Nerazzurri and he has moved to the top of their list of targets.

This is because the club is convinced by his physicality and his reading of the game, whilst the defender’s contract only has two years remaining on it and so the Serie A league leaders are optimistic that a transfer can be agreed and bidding is expected to start at €20 million.

For Inter, they hope to smooth negotiations by offering some additional bonuses. Bijol, who is expected to face Inter as Udinese travel to the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, has moved ahead of other targets, including Bologna’s Sam Beukema and Isak Hien of Atalanta.

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The former Is reported to be closing in on a move to Napoli, whilst Atalanta’s demands for Hien are expected to exceed €20m, leaving Bijol as the most likely option for Inter and there is also Venezia’s Jay Idzes as a backup option.

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