Inter Milan captain Lautaro Martinez has barely had a chance to catch his breath this season, having only missed 84 minutes of action so far.
This is highlighted in today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, via FCInterNews.
Martinez has dropped out of Inter’s starting eleven on one occasion.
That came in the Nerazzurri’s match away to Salernitana in Serie A.
And, ironically enough, it was the Argentine who starred in that match – his remarkable four-goal haul off the bench in the second half powered Inter to a 4-0 victory.
Otherwise, Martinez has been ever-present in the Nerazzurri lineup.
This is perhaps not surprising given that the 26-year-old has begun to wear the captain’s armband starting this season.
Moreover, Martinez has been Inter’s top scorer in each of the past two seasons. And this time around, the Argentine is scoring more freely than ever, with the team relying on him for goals at times.
Inter Captain Lautaro Martinez Getting Little Rest So Far This Season
The fitness and form of the backup forwards at Inter has not helped Martinez to obtain any time off.
Marko Arnautovic picking up an injury has reduced the attacking rotations at the Nerazzurri to three senior players.
Alexis Sanchez was the player who started Martinez’s place against Salernitana.
And it was far from an auspicious performance from the Chilean. That match underlined why Inter need Martinez, rather than demonstrating how they can cope in his absence.
It has not been the best of starts to the season for Sanchez broadly.
Particularly in the final third, the 34-year-old former Arsenal and Barcelona man has lacked cutting edge.
All of these factors have meant that Martinez has rarely had the chance to drop out of the team.
The Inter captain has come off the pitch as a substitute on a couple occasions – usually with his team already having wrapped up the result.
But by and large, Martinez has proved to be a player who Inter struggle to do without.
