Under normal circumstances these opening sentences would discuss Inter Milan’s poor form to start 2019 and how they finally managed to notch 2 consecutive victories over the past week. But these are not usual times. Drama more dramatic than even your grandmother’s favorite soap opera has currently ensnared the club as sensational headlines are seemingly posted every other hour. It is stressful, especially for fans who just want some idea of what’s going on but can only rely on what’s being reported.
Which is why I’d like to take a moment and just remind all of you, our loyal readers, to just take a step back from all the Inter news briefly and just have a moment of peace to yourself. What’s going on with the club and the news coming out is entirely out of our control and sometimes not even true (they are rumors after all). It is infuriating and/or disappointing to see the chaos involving the club just remember that at the end of the day none of it matters and Inter will still be Inter no matter how things resolve.
Upcoming Matches:
Inter vs Rapid Vienna, Thursday February 21st, Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, kickoff 21:00 CET.
Fiorentina vs Inter, Sunday February 24th, Stadio Artemio Franchi, kickoff 20:30 CET.
First Team Fitness:
Mauro Icardi: The villain of the hour at the center of all the chaos mentioned above. After being stripped of the captaincy, Icardi pulled himself out of the team’s first leg match against Rapid Vienna. With the timing of it many assumed it to be out of anger for losing the armband.
The following day Icardi shared an Instagram post at a physiotherapy session suggesting he is suffering from some ailment, much to the skepticism of everyone. Over the following days, the team’s physio confirmed Icardi’s side by stating he’s been playing through pain and inflammation in his historically injured knee, but he is now resting it.
The drama on that front died down for a few days, with fans obviously remaining skeptical about the injury. Until yesterday at least. After undergoing an MRI, the team officially announced “the scans didn’t reveal significant changes compared to those performed before the start of the current season.” This statement incited fans once again as it seemed to confirm that the former Captain is faking an injury.
However, it’s important to note that that isn’t what the club’s statement says. MRI’s, while a very useful imaging tool that provides quite a bit of information, do NOT provide ALL the information. MRI’s are generally used to visualize the integrity of soft tissue structures like ligament and cartilage and can visualize degrees inflammation but not all. Other information as it relates to nerves, bones, etc requires the use of other imaging tools. So, while the MRI doesn’t show any changes from the start of the season, it doesn’t mean that there still isn’t an underlying pathology of some kind.
At the end of the day none of us know what’s going on. Icardi could have knee pain and could be dealing with an injury or he could very well be faking it. The only people who truly know are the Inter Milan higher ups, physicians, and the Icardis. Several major publications have assumed this to mean Icardi has no injury and this is a tactic to put him in a corner in the battle.
But because we, the public, don’t know the complete medical information I will continue to discuss the Icardi situation in future reports with the assumption that he is suffering from a potential injury. To pass judgement before having that information would be medically unethical (think about yourself—would you want to go see a doctor and have them automatically assume you’re faking it even if you’re suffering from something?). Whether you choose to do the same is your prerogative.
That all being said, Icardi will be out of action, as expected, for both upcoming matches this week. Currently there is no expected timetable for his return.
Keita Balde Diao: The winger was reportedly close to making a return a few weeks ago but still has yet to be included in the matchday squads. He has already been left off of today’s European Cup match and reports suggest he is in serious doubt for the weekend’s match against Fiorentina. Hamstring injuries have extremely variable recovery courses and can sometimes linger. At this time the club haven’t provided more information than they already have on his status. He’ll be assessed in the coming days for availability for the weekend, but in all likelihood the club probably will not risk it.
Marcelo Brozovic/Milan Skriniar: The regista and the defensive anchor missed last week’s match against Rapid Vienna due to suspension but are eligible to return for the reverse fixture. They are both healthy and should start both matches this week.
Roberto Gagliardini/Joao Mario/Henrique Dalbert: All three men will not be eligible to play the reverse fixture on Thursday due to the Financial Fair Play (FFP) limitations to Inter’s squad size, however they should be available for selection for Sunday’s away match.
Avi Saini is a 27 year old medical student from California. He’s been an Inter fan since 98 after seeing the wonders of Ronaldo, who he maintains is the true greatest of all time. Avi writes a weekly medical column exclusively for SempreInter.com.
