Inter suffered a significant setback after it was confirmed that Lautaro Martinez will be out for an extended period following his recent injury in the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 playoff against Bodø/Glimt.
According to an Inter statement, the Argentine international has been diagnosed with a muscle strain in his left calf, though the expected duration of his absence has not yet been determined.
La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Lautaro will need at least three to four weeks to recover and be available for Inter’s next match.
This means Lautaro will miss approximately five matches, all of which are crucial for Chievo’s squad.
The 28-year-old will be unavailable for Lecce on Saturday in Serie A, and will then miss the crucial second leg of their Coppa Italia playoff against Bodø/Glimt, where Inter need to win by three goals to advance to the knockout stage after losing the first leg 3-1.
Lautaro will also miss the Serie A match against Genoa, as well as the Coppa Italia semi-final against Como, and the highly anticipated Milan derby, which could prove decisive in the Serie A title race.
Inter are hoping to have their star striker back by the time of March 15 against Atalanta, or at the final international break against Fiorentina.
Lautaro has made 35 appearances for Inter this season across all competitions, scoring 18 goals and providing 4 assists.
