Lautaro Martinez is injured—how long will he be out, and which matches will he miss?

Lautaro Martinez is sidelined due to injury. The news broke this morning in an official statement from Inter that sent a chill through Nerazzurri fans, who were already reeling from the loss to Bruges. The captain, fresh off duty with the Argentine national team and a two-goal performance in the Champions League at San Siro, is forced to sit out due to a muscle injury that could keep him off the field for several weeks.

“Lautaro Martinez underwent clinical and diagnostic tests today at the Humanitas Institute in Rozzano. The tests revealed a muscle strain in the flexors of his left thigh,” the Nerazzurri club announced, confirming the injury to its No. 10.

For Cristian Chivu, this is a major setback at a critical point in the season. The coach will be without his captain and primary offensive threat for at least three weeks. Barring any unforeseen setbacks in his recovery, this will force Lautaro to miss the matches against Bologna, Shakhtar, Fiorentina, Venezia, Milan, and Feyenoord. The match against Como, scheduled for November 8, could also be added to that list.

The goal is to have Lautaro back on the field after the second international break, for the match against Atalanta on November 22. Much will depend, of course, on how the muscle injury progresses and how the player responds to treatment.