Inter Faces Udinese Without Calhanoglu Due to Injury

Inter head into Monday night’s Serie A clash with Udinese without one of their key pillars. Hakan Calhanoglu has been ruled out of the matchday squad, with pre-match reports confirming the midfielder is dealing with muscular fatigue in the adductor area.

Cristian Chivu, preparing his side for one of three fixtures on the Monday slate – alongside Torino vs. Roma and Como vs. Parma – has had to redraw his midfield plans on the eve of kick-off.

The decision on Calhanoglu is precautionary, but significant. Gianluca Di Marzio reports that the Turkish international has not even been included on the bench, with Inter opting not to take risks as the schedule begins to tighten.

The club do not expect a long lay-off. Calhanoglu will be monitored daily, yet there is immediate uncertainty over his availability for Saturday evening’s Serie A meeting with Roma. That game now hangs in the balance for him.

His absence forces a reshuffle in the engine room. Inter start with a trio of Nicolo Barella, Piotr Zielinski and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, with Zielinski asked to operate as the deepest midfielder, stepping into the holding role usually owned by Calhanoglu.

It is a test of Inter’s depth. And a chance to see how smoothly they can function when their metronome is missing.