Inter Milan coach Cristian Chivu has decided to start Francesco Pio Esposito and Petar Sucic against Pisa as the Nerazzurri continue their demanding schedule in Matchday 22 of the Serie A season.
The official lineups for tonight’s Serie A clash, which kicks off at San Siro on Friday evening at 20:45 CET, have been announced.
Inter return to action only days after their intense Champions League outing against Arsenal.
Creato per adattarsi a ogni 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙯𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙚 🔧
Pronto per essere testato 🔋@play_eFootball pic.twitter.com/9rG9UP01d8— Inter ⭐⭐ (@Inter) January 23, 2026
Heavy legs remain a concern, especially with the match brought forward due to San Siro hosting the Winter Olympics.
Therefore, Chivu faces another delicate balancing act as he looks to manage fatigue while protecting Inter’s position at the top of the table.
Inter Milan vs Pisa – Pio Esposito Confirmed In Attack
Chivu has once again shown faith in Francesco Pio Esposito.
The young striker comes into the match in strong condition and is ready to lead the line again after his recent performances.
As a result, Esposito starts alongside Lautaro Martinez.
Esposito wins the internal battle with Ange-Yoan Bonny for a place in attack.
The partnership has already paid dividends so far this season, and Chivu hopes for a similar impact tonight.
Inter Milan vs Pisa – Rotation In Defence & Midfield
As expected, Yann Bisseck returns to the starting XI after missing out against Arsenal.
He lines up in a back three alongside Stefan De Vrij and Alessandro Bastoni.
However, energy levels remain under close review. While Lautaro Martinez and Alessandro Bastoni both start, Chivu has alternatives ready if needed.
Federico Dimarco, Marcus Thuram and Ange-Yoan Bonny provide fresh options from the bench.
In midfield, Henrikh Mkhitaryan comes back into the lineup to add control and experience. He joins Piotr Zielinski and Petar Sucic.
The Poland star most likely takes responsibility in the deep-lying playmaker role due to Hakan Calhanoglu’s injury absence. Nicolo Barella is rested.
Meanwhile, Luis Henrique and Carlos Augusto operate on the flanks, offering width and support in both phases. No surprise in goal, Yann Sommer starts.
Inter Milan vs Pisa – Official Starting Lineups: Pio Esposito & Sucic Start
Inter (3-5-2): Sommer; Bisseck, De Vrij, Bastoni; Luis Henrique, Sucic, Zielinski, Mkhitaryan, Carlos Augusto; Esposito, Lautaro.
Bench: Martinez, Di Gennaro, Acerbi, Akanji, Dimarco, Darmian, Cocchi, Bovo, Barella, Frattesi, Diouf, Bonny, Thuram.
Coach: Chivu.
Suspended: no-one.
Injured & unavailable: Palacios, Dumfries, Calhanoglu.
Inter (3-4-2-1): Scuffet; Calabresi, Coppola, Canestrelli; Touré, Marin, Aebischer, Angori; Tramoni, Morea; Meister.
Bench: Semper, Nicolas, Caracciolo, Bozhinov, Mbambi, Højholt, Loyola, Akinsanmiro, Esteves, Leris, Lorran, Piccinini, Buffon, Durosinmi.
Coach: Gilardino.
Suspended: no-one.
Injured & unavailable: Cuadrado, Albiol, Lusuardi, Denoon, Stengs, Vural.
Referee: Marcenaro.
Assistant Referees: Mokhtar and Yoshikawa.
Fourth Official: Ayroldi.
VAR: Gariglio.
Assistant VAR: Massa.