Into the Champions League semi-finals for a second time in three seasons, Inter Milan will visit Barcelona on Wednesday, as the European giants play the first leg of their last-four tie at Montjuic.
With his team having lost three straight games without scoring, Simone Inzaghi will be keen to recall Marcus Thuram – who has scored a career best 14 league goals this season – but late fitness tests will be required to see if the French forward can start.
Having missed Inter’s streak of defeats with a thigh injury, Joaquin Correa, Marko Arnautovic and Medhi Taremi have all stood in for Thuram, but he hopes to partner captain Lautaro Martinez up front in midweek.
The latter has scored in his last five Champions League matches – including both legs of the Nerazzurri’s quarter-final triumph against Bayern Munich – so he remains the first name on the teamsheet.
Thuram’s countryman Benjamin Pavard suffered a sprained ankle in Sunday’s home loss to Roma, so Yann Bisseck or Stefan De Vrij may be drafted into the visitors’ back three.
In better news for Inzaghi, Denzel Dumfries and Piotr Zielinski returned to action, making late cameo appearances, while Alessandro Bastoni and Henrikh Mkhitaryan are both available after serving domestic bans.
The latter should slot back in alongside Nicolo Barella and Hakan Calhanoglu, reforming a familiar engine room trio; Davide Frattesi – Inter’s hero in Munich – drops down to the bench.
Bastoni’s return could see Carlos Augusto make way, but the versatile Brazilian will also vie with Federico Dimarco for selection at left wing-back.
Inter Milan possible starting lineup: Sommer; Bisseck, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Martinez, Thuram
> Click here to see how Barcelona could line up for Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final
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