Inter captain Lautaro Martinez out for a month with hamstring strain

Inter captain Lautaro Martinez will be sidelined for at least a month after scans confirmed a left-hamstring strain, ruling him out of the Derby della Madonnina against AC Milan on October 31.

Inter lose their captain at a defining point

Martinez suffered the muscular injury during Inter’s Champions League defeat to Club Brugge at San Siro. The Argentine scored twice in the 4-3 loss but was later sent for examinations, which identified the problem in his left hamstring.

The 29-year-old is expected to stay out until after November’s international break. He will also miss Argentina’s forthcoming World Cup qualifying fixtures, leaving Lionel Scaloni without one of his senior forwards.

Inter’s medical staff at the Humanitas Institute in Rozzano will oversee his recovery. The current target is an away return against Atalanta on November 22, with Stuttgart due at San Siro three days later.

The matches Martinez is set to miss

1. Inter travel to Bologna on Saturday without their main striker.
2. The captain will be absent for the October 31 Milan derby.
3. Serie A meetings with Fiorentina are also part of the expected lay-off.
4. Champions League ties against Shakhtar Donetsk and Feyenoord could be played without him.
5. Martinez is projected to miss seven club matches in all competitions before the international break ends.

Chivu must reshape Inter’s forward line

Cristian Chivu now faces a major attacking problem during a packed domestic and European schedule. Martinez has scored four Serie A goals this season and has been central to Inter’s pressing structure as well as their finishing in the penalty area.

His partnership with Marcus Thuram has been a major feature of Inter’s approach, with Martinez regularly leading the press and helping trigger the team’s defensive work from the front. Replacing his movement, captaincy and goal threat will be more difficult than simply filling one starting position.

Before the Brugge setback, Martinez had missed only one game this season: September’s win over Udinese, when he remained an unused substitute. He had also hit braces against Napoli and Roma at the Stadio Olimpico, while he appeared from the bench in the recent victory over Parma as Inter managed his workload.

Key takeaways

• Martinez has a confirmed strain in his left hamstring.
• He is unavailable for at least a month and will miss the Milan derby.
• Inter expect their captain to be out for around seven matches across Serie A and the Champions League.
• Argentina will be without the World Cup winner during the next qualifier window.
• Atalanta away on November 22 is the provisional comeback date.

Martinez’s importance in numbers