Inter Milan Manager Provides Worrying Fitness Update On Two Injured First-Team Stalwarts: “Hope But No Guarantees” | OneFootball

Inter Milan boss Simone Inzaghi delivered a fitness update on Francesco Acerbi and Hakan Calhanoglu after a 3-0 win at Empoli.

During his post-match conference, as reported by FCInterNews, the Nerazzurri manager discussed the victory, hailing his team’s performance at Stadio Carlo Castellani.

The current Serie A runners-up desperately needed a win in Tuscany to close the gap on Napoli after a 4-4 draw against Juventus.

Davide Frattesi’s brace, followed by Lautaro Martinez’s late goal, propelled them to a much-needed victory tonight.

“There was a mix of emotions after Sunday, but I stayed clear-headed,” Inzaghi said after the game.

“We knew we needed to win on Sunday based on how the game developed.

“We worked these past few days with some limitations in the squad but delivered a strong performance.

“Asllani joined us with an injection.

“The medical staff did well to make him and Zielinski available because we needed to give a breather to those who had been playing continuously, like Mkhitaryan.”

Simone Inzaghi also reflected on a frustrating stalemate against Juventus.

“As a coach, I wasn’t happy with Sunday’s result, but I was pleased with the performance,” he admitted.

“Offensively, the numbers are good and significant; we know we need to do more in the defensive phase.

“Tonight, we gave a great demonstration, and I thank the fans who made us feel like we were at San Siro.”

Inter Milan Manager Simone Inzaghi Provides Fitness Update on Francesco Acerbi & Hakan Calhanoglu

Inter have been without Acerbi and Calhanoglu since a 1-0 triumph at Roma a fortnight ago.

However, Inzaghi hopes to have his two first-team stalwarts back sooner rather than later.

“We’ll see in the next few days; there’s hope but no certainty. We have to assess both Calhanoglu and Acerbi,” he stated.

“We need to keep growing. Right now, we’re somewhat limited.”

Inzaghi explained how the injuries are taking their toll at this crucial juncture.

“We knew there was a block of important matches, but we encountered some issues after returning from Rome.

“We’ve had to make the best of the situation, but the team responded well.”

The Inter boss was happy to see Lautaro back on the scoresheet.

“I’m very happy for him. I insisted on keeping Lautaro on because I wanted him to have that satisfaction,” he said.

“Barella was excellent because, like everyone, he understood that Lauti deserved the goal, and tonight, we wanted him to score.”