As Inter Milan prepare for their crucial Champions League encounter against AS Monaco, manager Simone Inzaghi faces some tactical decisions and injury challenges. The Nerazzurri, coming off a match against a lower-ranked opponent, took the opportunity to rotate their squad, giving rest to key players like Nicolo Barella and Federico Dimarco. Yann Bisseck, recently returned to the matchday squad, was also given additional recovery time.
However, Inter will be without some important players for this high-stakes European fixture. Hakan Calhanoglu, who has been a top scorer for the team in the Champions League, is sidelined with a calf injury. The same ailment has also ruled out Joaquin Correa, who is ineligible anyway, while Francesco Acerbi is unavailable due to a hamstring issue.
These absences may lead Inter to lean more heavily on their defensive strengths. Goalkeeper Yann Sommer has been in exceptional form, keeping six clean sheets in seven Champions League matches this season. He’s on the verge of breaking Andre Onana’s club record of eight clean sheets in a single Champions League campaign, set two seasons ago.
On the other side, AS Monaco are grappling with their own injury concerns, particularly in their attacking department. Folarin Balogun and George Ilenikhena are likely to be absent, and new acquisition Mika Biereth is ineligible for the competition.
These offensive setbacks might force Monaco to seek goals from unconventional sources. Interestingly, they’ve had the highest proportion of goals scored by defenders in the league phase, accounting for 31% of their total. Players like Thilo Kehrer and Wilfried Singo have provided crucial goals, including match-winners against Bologna and Aston Villa respectively.
However, Monaco’s squad depth is further tested with doubts over Singo’s availability after he missed their recent weekend match. Additionally, midfielder Denis Zakaria’s early substitution in the same game puts his participation in question, adding to what has already been an injury-plagued season for the player..
Inter: Sommer; Pavard, De Vrij, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Asllani, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Martinez, Thuram
Monaco: Majecki; Vanderson, Salisu, Kehrer, Mawissa Elebi; Magassa, Camara; Akliouche, Golovin, Ben Seghir; Embolo
