Confirming the negative concerns already felt on Saturday evening at the moment of injury, Piotr Zielinski will have to stay sidelined for several weeks. The Inter midfielder has undergone instrumental examinations that confirmed a strain of the medial gastrocnemius muscle in his right leg.
For an injury of this magnitude, the recovery time is expected to be definitely not short, with the former Napoli player not expected to return to the pitch until early May. This means Simone Inzaghi will have to do without Zielinski for at least 10 matches, a significant number considering how packed and busy this season’s schedule is.
For this reason, as highlighted by La Gazzetta dello Sport, Inzaghi will inevitably have to rethink his midfield. As such, two potential adjustments stand out that Inzaghi might implement over the coming weeks.
Considering the challenging period Mkhitaryan is currently experiencing, the first solution is moving Barella to the left-center midfield position and bringing Frattesi back into the starting lineup as the right-sided midfielder. Alternatively, although less probable, the coach could move Calhanoglu back to his old role as a mezzala, entrusting Asllani to consistently perform in the regista playmaker position.
