Inter Milan suffered an early setback in their Serie A match against Roma at the Stadio Olimpico as key midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu was forced to leave the field due to injury. The Turkish international experienced discomfort in his right thigh just minutes into the game.
Around the 7-minute mark, Calhanoglu began to limp noticeably, but initially tried to continue playing. It was his teammate Nicolò Barella who alerted manager Simone Inzaghi to the situation. After a brief consultation, Calhanoglu confirmed he was unable to continue due to pain, prompting Inzaghi to prepare Davide Frattesi as a substitute.
As Calhanoglu left the pitch in the 12th minute, he was seen clutching the inner part of his thigh, indicating the location of the muscular issue. This injury adds to Inter’s mounting midfield concerns, with Piotr Zielinski and Kristjan Asllani already sidelined for the Roma clash due to a flexor injury and a severe contusion, respectively.
The situation has forced Inzaghi to consider alternative strategies. Earlier in the week, he had experimented with Barella in a deeper playmaking role, anticipating potential issues with Calhanoglu given Asllani’s unavailability. This contingency plan may now come into play sooner than expected.
Inter’s problems were further exacerbated with centre-back Francesco Acerbi also forced off through injury.
