Lautaro Martinez, derby needs a half miracle

The bad feelings of the eve have found confirmation in the examinations to which Lautaro Martinez underwent: he reported a left calf soleus strain, suffered during the unfortunate Champions League away match against Bodo/Glimt. His condition will be re-evaluated in a week, but the derby already appears compromised. The estimated recovery time is at least three weeks, with a risk of up to a month’s stop.

For the Argentine striker and for Inter, it’s a heavy blow: he will definitely miss five games, but the number could go up to nine, depending on the extent of the problem, which is not specified in the official statement. The club’s note explains that Lautaro underwent clinical and instrumental examinations at the Humanitas Institute in Rozzano in the morning. The examinations showed a muscle resentment in the left soleus. The situation will be reviewed in the coming days.

In the calendar, the Nerazzurri captain will certainly miss against Lecce in the league, in the return leg of the Champions playoffs against Bodo/Glimt, in the league against Genoa and in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semifinal against Como. The challenge with Milan on March 8 also seems out of reach. Then the possible round of 16 Champions League finals remain to be evaluated, should they qualify.

A glimmer could open up for Inter-Atalanta on March 15 or Fiorentina-Inter on March 22, but there is an important variable: if Lautaro were to return for one of these matches, Argentina could feel entitled to call him up for the final against Spain on March 27 and for the friendly with Qatar on March 31.

If, on the other hand, examinations in a week’s time show a more serious injury, club and player could opt for a more cautious management, also taking advantage of the break to complete his recovery. In that case, the return could slip to the April 4 Roma match.

Hope remains, however, linked to his known ability to recover quickly, his resilience to pain and his fighting character that have often allowed him to shorten the time of his return.