Inter Milan have offered an injury update on star striker Lautaro Martinez ahead of their UEFA Champions League showdown with Barcelona.
Hansi Flick’s side head to the San Siro for their semi final second leg on May 6 on the back of a thrilling 3-3 first leg clash.
With the tie evenly poised, both Flick and Simone Inzaghi made changes for their league games this weekend, as Barcelona battled out a 2-1 win at relegated Real Valladolid.
Inter ended a run of five games without a win in all competitions, via a 1-0 home victory over Verona, to keep Inzaghi’s team on the heels of Napoli in the Serie A title race.
As expected, Martinez did not feature against Verona, with the Argentina international forced off injured at half time in Catalonia, in a major blow for Inzaghi.
Martinez is Inter Milan’s top scorer so far this season, with 21 goals across all competitions, but he looks unlikely to be fit in time for the return game.
The club issued a vague note on his recovery following the first leg and Inzaghi admitted a return would be a risk.
That point appears to have been backed up following the Verona win as Inzaghi’s assistant Massimiliano Farris offered a fresh update on the situation.
“It’s true it’s not a major issue, so there’s a little hope, but at the moment it’s more no than yes,” as per quotes from Football Italia.
“He hasn’t trained, we’ll try everything of course because it is a vital match, but it’s more no than yes right now, unfortunately.”
Farris’ comments have sharpen the focus on who will replace and partner Marcus Thuram against Flick’s visitors.
Iran international Mehdi Taremi came on for Martinez in Barcelona, and both he and Thuram were rested from the start against Verona, as an indicator of Inzaghi’s thinking.
