Inter will be without captain Lautaro Martinez for the derby against AC Milan, as the Argentine striker is not expected to recover in time from a muscular injury.
Meanwhile, manager Cristian Chivu is considering rotating his starting line-up for the match against Venezia.
The Nerazzurri face a busy five-day period, with two important fixtures on the calendar. Inter will first take on Venezia before the highly anticipated derby against AC Milan, scheduled for Saturday, October 31, at 20:45.
However, the clash against their city rivals will take place without one of the team’s most important players. Lautaro Martinez will be unavailable after failing to recover from a thigh muscle injury sustained following the defeat against Club Brugge.
The injury has kept the captain out of the last four matches, and his absence is expected to continue into the derby.
Three Players Awaiting Their Return
Curtis Jones, John Stones and Benjamin Pavard are close to returning to availability for Chivu, but none of them is expected to feature against Venezia.
All three players have yet to train with the rest of the squad, and their condition will be assessed over the coming days, with the aim of having them ready for the derby against AC Milan.
Chivu Plans to Rotate His Squad
Despite the importance of the derby, Inter cannot afford to underestimate their clash with Venezia. For this reason, Chivu is considering several changes to his line-up, although he is not planning a major squad rotation.
Manuel Akanji is expected to be rested, while Carlos Augusto could once again feature on the flank in Inter’s three-man defence. Alessandro Bastoni, meanwhile, is expected to return to the centre of the defensive line.
Hakan Calhanoglu could also be rested to ensure he is in optimal condition for the derby. In that case, Aleksandar Stankovic could be given an opportunity to play.
In attack, Marcus Thuram could start the match on the bench and feature for a short spell of up to 30 minutes. Instead, the partnership of Pio Esposito and Ange-Yoan Bonny is expected to lead the line.
Inter aim to come through the match against Venezia successfully while also managing their players’ physical condition ahead of the derby, which could have a significant impact on the remainder of their season.