Inter Faces Udinese Without Calhanoglu Due to Fatigue

Inter head into Monday night’s Serie A meeting with Udinese without one of their key pillars. Hakan Calhanoglu has been left out of Cristian Chivu’s matchday squad after reporting muscular fatigue in the build-up to the game.

The midfielder is dealing with adductor fatigue, as reported by Gianluca Di Marzio, and did not even make the bench for the San Siro fixture. Inter are treating the issue with caution. The problem is not believed to be serious, but his condition will be monitored day by day.

That daily assessment leaves a question hanging over the weekend. Inter face Roma on Saturday evening in another important Serie A test, and at this stage Calhanoglu’s availability for that match is still uncertain.

In his absence, Chivu has reshaped the heart of his side. Inter will start with a three-man midfield of Nicolo Barella, Piotr Zielinski and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, with Zielinski dropping into the deepest role usually occupied by Calhanoglu.

Inter vs Udinese is one of three fixtures on a busy Monday in Serie A, alongside Torino vs Roma and Como vs Parma in the earlier kick-off slots. For Inter, though, all eyes will be on how the midfield functions without its usual metronome – and on how quickly Calhanoglu can return to anchor it again.