A report in the Italian media insists Inter Milan have only one untouchable player in the starting lineup, and his name is Hakan Calhanoglu.
This season, the Nerazzurri have taken pride in building a formidable squad with two solid options for every playing position.
Therefore, Simone Inzaghi has been repeatedly tweaking his starting lineup, sparking a debate among fans and observers alike.
For instance, Yann Bisseck has replaced Benjamin Pavard on several occasions. The German even started in the Champions League clash against Manchester City.
Moreover, the coach dropped the likes of Nicolo Barella, Lautaro Martinez and Alessandro Bastoni on some occasions.
Nevertheless, La Gazzetta dello Sport (via FcInterNews) argues Calhanoglu is the only truly irreplaceable player.
As the pink newspaper puts it, the gulf in quality between the Turk and his understudy Kristjan Asllani is undeniable.
The Albanian is a young and aspiring deep-lying midfielder. However, GdS feels he has a long way to go before proving himself as a like-to-like replacement for Calhanoglu.
The Italian Media Identifies Hakan Calhanoglu As The Most Irreplaceable Player At Inter Milan
The source backs its claim with some numbers registered during the Derby della Modonnina defeat at the hands of AC Milan.
The report notes that even the team’s defensive stats regressed when Asllani replaced his older teammate in the 64th minute.
The Rossoneri had only produced three shots until that point. But with the 22-year-old on the pitch, they fired 13 attempts.
Therefore, La Gazzetta suggests Inzaghi must find a way to keep Calhanoglu fresh and avoid rotations that hurt the team, especially in the most delicate fixtures.