Injuries hamper the Nerazzurri’s resurrection
Claudio Ranieri’s revival of the Nerazzurri seemed short lived when after beating Bologna and CSKA Moscow, his team were left stunned at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza by a rampant Napoli team. He now has to look to a tricky trip to Sicily and hope that his team can beat Catania at the infamous Stadio Angelo Massimino. However, he has to do this with a growing injury list.
Injuries play their part in any teams season and this is certainly the case for the Nerazzurri. At the Centro Sportivo Angelo Moratti this week, Inter’s players were doing whatever it took to get themselves back to full fitness. Nine players were still away with their International teams but the rest were concentrating fully on rehabilitation. Some where better off than others such as Christian Chivu, Lucio, Thiago Motta and Giampaolo Pazzini, who all trained with the team before finishing the day doing their own individual workouts. Javier Zanetti had returned after his day off whilst Andrea Ranocchia, Wesley Sneijder, Julio Cesar and Emiliano Viviano all had massages and light therapy. Andreas Poli however, is still receiving therapy as well as physiotherapy as his bad luck continues. The summer signing from Sampdoria has been ruled out so far with injury however, just as he seemed to be on the mend he has suffered a further set back to his left leg which will see him left out for a further ten days.
There has also been a further injury problem for Ranieri as Diego Forlan has returned from International duty with a possible two week lay off on the cards. He told Il Corriere dello Sport; “I felt strong pain in my leg and I had to stop playing. Now we have to see what the doctors say. I do not know what the problem is yet, but I just couldn't continue playing. We have to wait. Once I go back to Milan I will have further tests.”
The only good news that Ranieri may have for the game is that Pazzini and Sneijder do look like they are going to make the starting line up. The former Roma coach was full of praise for the Dutchman this week when he told Gazzetta dello Sport; “I have no doubt that Sneijder is Inter’s Totti, as when he is on the field something magical always happens.” This is a true compliment from the 59-year-old Roman.
This weekend the Nerazzurri will have to look to their squad players to come to the front and perform. Inter are looking to rebuild, it is perhaps time that their younger players and those on the outskirts of the squad step up and show that they have the talent and mentality to press on. They have the shadow of their older teammates’ achievements hanging over them from the past half a decade, but this is something they need to deal with. Ranieri himself has said; “This team has no limits, as we can still win the Scudetto.” There is no doubt that the first IX can achieve anything it chooses, the question is, can the squad?
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