Last weekend’s loss to SS Lazio was disappointing but the victors deserved all three points having looked the better side. The loss doesn’t spell death for Inter in the title chase as they only trail league leaders Juventus by a mere 3 points.
However the opportunity to make a statement win over fellow Scudetto chasers SS Lazio passed them by and now the team and fans alike can only be disappointed.
But this weekend presents a prime opportunity for the team to bounce back and right the ship as they face off against Sampdoria. The bottom feeders of the table look like prime candidates for Inter to demolish, however as they sit in a relegation battle the Antonio Conte needs to take care to see the men don’t fall for a trap in the schedule.
Upcoming Matches:
Inter vs Sampdoria, Sunday February 23rd, Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, kickoff 20:45 CET
Inter vs PFC Ludogorets Razgard, Thursday February 27th, Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, kickoff 21:00 CET
First Team Fitness:
Roberto Gagliardini: The bone edema persists. There has been surprisingly little information provided for the Italian midfielder so it remains a mystery when he could return. He has yet to even return to practice so our guess remains it’ll still be some time before he returns.
Samir Handanovic: The captain hasn’t played for several matches now but has interestingly been on the bench for the last few. The club hasn’t provided too many specifics as to the severity of the stress fracture in his left hand either.
Their moves thus far had been interesting having gone so far as to try out Emiliano Viviano as a signing for the backup goalkeeping position, something that would have suggested an extended absence, but they have since opted to stick with only Daniele Padelli in goal.
This either suggests Handanovic is not too far off from a return or Viviano did not show he could be better than Padelli if signed. Given Sport Mediaset’s recent report suggesting Handanovic will start training with the ball as of Saturday, it seems to be more likely the former is true. But until we hear concrete information from the club about Handanovic’s recovery or training regimen, everything remains in the air.