MILAN, Oct 3 — Lautaro Martinez is a doubt for Inter Milan’s crucial Champions League visit of Barcelona, coach Simone Inzaghi said today.
Already without big summer signing Romelu Lukaku, Inzaghi may now have to do without Argentina forward Martinez for the first of two Group C matches with La Liga’s joint leaders.
Martinez, who has scored three times this season, ended Saturday’s 2-1 home defeat by Roma in poor condition but Inzaghi said that tests this morning “revealed nothing”.
“He was tired at the end of the match, today he’ll do some light training and we’ll see what kind of shape he’s in,” Inzaghi told reporters.
Another Argentinian Joaquin Correa will start up front alongside Edin Dzeko should Martinez not make the starting line-up.
Inzaghi, 46, also said Andre Onana would start in goal ahead of Samir Handanovic as in Inter’s first two group fixtures, and midfield lynchpin Marcelo Brozovic would miss the match injured.
The two sides sit three points behind group leaders Bayern Munich after both were beaten 2-0 by the German champions in the opening two rounds of the competition.
Inter have lost five of their 10 fixtures in Serie A and Europe and the pressure is on both Inzaghi and the team to not fall further behind.
However they have a daunting task ahead of them as Barca have kept a clean sheet in each of their last five league matches.
Barcelona also have one of the world’s most deadly strikers in Robert Lewandowski ready to pounce on any errors.
“Barcelona are very good, they play some of the best football in Europe. We know how important this match is,” said Inzaghi.
“They’re a complete team, they can do everything.
“They’re well organised, they recover the ball better than any team in Europe, they know what to do in and out of possession and now they’ve even got Lewandowski.”
Inter travel to the Camp Nou for the return fixture next Wednesday. — AFP
