Going into the holiday break Antonio Conte had Inter humming. Having won 7 of the last 8 matches across all competitions, the squad looked to be getting into rhythm.
During that stretch they also showed the mental strength to get some hard fought and comeback wins. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the holiday break came at the worst possible time for Inter given everyone’s collective form.
But the holidays did give Inter a solid 2 weeks to get health issues ironed out. During their 8 match stretch Inter has suffered and dealt with a number of injuries.
For as good as Inter has been as a collective, individual players have struggled to maintain a high level of play as a direct result of inconsistent play time.
The hope as we leave behind the cursed year that is 2020 is that players will have healed up and will be able to maintain their fitness for the upcoming title battle against fierce rivals AC Milan.
Upcoming Matches:
Inter vs Crotone, Sunday January 3rd, Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, kickoff 12:30 CET
First Team Fitness:
Alexis Sanchez: The biggest injury going into the two week break. Against Sassuolo the Chilean international suffered an adductor muscle injury and missed the entire month of December as a result.
Prior to the break reports suggested the club anticipated he would be available starting with this weekend’s upcoming match against Crotone.
Reports from Corriere dello Sport suggest he may be available for the match this weekend and the club will be maintaining a close eye on him. Pending how his upcoming fitness tests go, he could be a match time decision for the bench.
Stefano Sensi: The Italian midfielder was a revelation the first half of the 2019/20 season. Fans and the team alike were both right to be excited at the ability he showed, but unfortunately injuries over the course of the past 13 to 14 months have mostly robbed everyone of the chance to see Sensi return to that form.
Thus far this season he has only logged 182 minutes for the club. Per a report from Corriere dello Sport, however, he has regained full fitness and is working to maintain it as best he can.
While he had already been available for previous matches, there is a chance he could start competing for a starting spot as early as the weekend’s fixture.
