Stefan de Vrij and Denzel Dumfries are favourite to start in defense and on the right for Inter Milan against Atletico Madrid.
This according to Italian broadcaster Sky Sport Italia, via FCInterNews, who anticipate the Nerazzurri lineup for tomorrow evening’s Champions League round of sixteen second leg.
Inter coach Simone Inzaghi will be aiming to, by and large, start the strongest possible lineup possible tomorrow.
In most cases, that means that it is fairly clear who the coach will go with.
But there are two positions in particular where Inzaghi will have a decision to make.
One is in the central role in the back three. And the other is at right-wingback.
And according to Sky, the Inter coach is leaning towards starting two Dutch internationals over their Italian counterparts.
De Vrij & Dumfries Favourites To Start For Inter Vs Atletico Madrid
In the middle of the back three, Inzaghi has a like-for-like choice between de Vrij and Francesco Acerbi.
It is the former who started in the first leg against Atletico. This was part of a run of matches that the 32-year-old started whilst Acerbi was out with an injury.
Acerbi was the player to start in the position against Bologna over the weekend.
This was the 35-year-old’s first start after coming back from injury. He had also come off the bench against Genoa in Inter’s previous match.
According to Sky, it is de Vrij who is likelier to get the nod tomorrow.
And on the right flank, Inzaghi is yet to make a final decision between Dumfries and former Manchester United and Torino veteran Darmian.
But according to Sky, the coach is leaning in the former direction.
Darmian was the player to start in the first leg against Atletico. But it could well be the Dutchman who starts ahead of him.
Darmian played out the full ninety minutes against Bologna on Saturday – starting on the right, and then moving over to the left after Carlos Augusto went off with an injury.
Dumfries, meanwhile, only played the second half of that match.
Meanwhile, Sky reports, it will be Yann Sommer in goal tomorrow, as usual.
In front of the Swiss the back three will certainly consist of Alessandro Bastoni and a returning Benjamin Pavard on either side of de Vrij or Acerbi.
Hakan Calhanoglu, Nicolo Barella, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan will make up the Inter midfield trio.
Federico Dimarco will start on the right. And in attack, it will be Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram leading the line.
