Inter is preparing to welcome back three major players. Lautaro Martinez, Marcus Thuram and John Stones have chosen to return from vacation a day early and tomorrow they will already be at Appiano Gentile to begin preparations for the new season.
According to Tuttosport, for Stones this will be his first real contact with the Nerazzurri environment after his transfer. The English defender will immediately reunite with Manuel Akanji, his teammate at Manchester City from 2022 to 2025 and already working at Pinetina since Tuesday. Once the team returns from Australia, the former Citizens defender will also be able to embrace Aleksandar Kolarov again, with whom he shared his early years in Manchester. He will be welcomed especially by Lautaro, after their many battles as opponents, including the Champions League final in Istanbul and the recent World Cup semifinal.
Petar Sucic has also already returned to Appiano, coming back to attend the birth of his child. Also present at the base are Yanis Massolin and Kristjan Asllani, both dealing with physical problems, although the latter remains out of the technical project.
It will probably take some time to see Stones, Lautaro and Thuram in the starting lineup right away. Cristian Chivu has already expressed caution about the idea of starting them from the first minute against Monza, in the opening match of the league on August 22. The season will be long and Inter does not want to rush things. At the moment, for the debut, the offensive pair of Pio Esposito and Bonny is gaining ground. First, however, there will be a friendly against Real Betis in Bari, the last important test before the official start of the season.
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