Inter Milan Vs Cagliari – Cristian Chivu Confirms Italy Superstar’s Omission Amid Barcelona Links: “Not Called Up” | OneFootball

Inter Milan head coach Cristian Chivu confirmed that Alessandro Bastoni will not feature in Friday’s home clash against Cagliari.

During today’s press conference, the Romanian tactician addressed his center-back’s current situation, as reported by FCInterNews.

Alessandro Bastoni is experiencing a rough patch.

In addition to a minor fitness issue, the 26-year-old is facing heavy scrutiny after falling out of favor with Serie A fans.

Therefore, Cristian Chivu took his starting defender off at halftime during last Sunday’s 4-3 win at Como.

Furthermore, Bastoni won’t be available for tomorrow night’s showdown against Cagliari amid Barcelona’s intense interest.

Indeed, the runaway La Liga leaders have earmarked the Nerazzurri stalwart as their top target ahead of the summer transfer window.

Meanwhile, Inter are reportedly holding out for their stratospheric €70 million asking price -a figure Barcelona cannot afford to match.

As such, Bastoni could become the subject of another transfer saga in the coming months.

Cristian Chivu Confirms Alessandro Bastoni Ruled Out of Inter Milan vs Cagliari Clash

“I’d even stop talking about Ale,” Chivu said. “We’ve been doing it for a month now, and not in a praising way.

“We should praise the man and the player for what he has given, because he made himself available for the national team – he deserves credit for that.

“We should be proud of what he has done.

“He now has an ankle issue and has trained very little over the past month. However, we are at the end of April, and a physical reconditioning process would be of little use.

“We need to give him trust, make him feel important, while being aware that he is not at 100%. We thank him because he shows up and tries to contribute.

“He is not well, he will not be in the squad tomorrow, and he will stay out to heal his ankle and regain fitness.”

Meanwhile, Chivu also delivered a fitness update on Lautaro Martinez and Yann Bisseck.

“Bisseck will join the group soon,” he added. “Lauti, compared to the expected timeline, is on track. I think he will return to training on the pitch next week. It’s a matter of days: Bisseck in two, and Lauti in 7–8.”

Cristian Chivu Hails Inter Milan Win vs Como & Blasts Serie A Critics

“It’s too easy to change opinions based on the standings,” Chivu stated. “That is not our problem.

“I would be mediocre all my life if it means being top of the table, being a coach who has the certainty of a job well done, with a club that supports ambitious players and me.

“Then it becomes easy to label a season based on results.”

Then, he addressed Beppe Marotta’s recent statement and Inter’s recent comeback at Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia.

“We have always brought focus onto the pitch – the awareness of how important each match is in a season, of being physically and mentally ready.

“We are trying to adapt and understand the moments of the game, what the opponent is doing and what we need to change ourselves.

“I would say we’ve had ups and downs in this regard. In some matches we did well, in others less so for various reasons.

“But we have always tried to give everything, as in the last two matchdays, after the international break, when the players had a strong mental boost.

“Everyone immediately aligned themselves with the club’s objectives to help bring our desire to compete until the very end to a successful conclusion.”

“If you don’t understand irony, you’d better start doing something else. We live in a world where too many things are taken too seriously, handled superficially, or misrepresented based on agendas or friendships.

“Mine was a joke, but there was truth in it – we’ve always talked about Champions League qualification.

“And I repeated real things myself, I didn’t invent anything, and I said it with a smile. Maybe someone took it the wrong way.

“We need to have irony. Football is not life; it is a game and should be treated as such. Some teams have the right attitude and end up winning, others try but don’t succeed. Only one wins.

“You shouldn’t take it badly if a team or a friend doesn’t succeed, but instead praise those who give their best to achieve their goals.”