Inter injury update: Barella and Acerbi sidelined

Inter Milan are facing injury concerns ahead of their upcoming Coppa Italia match. Midfielder Nicolò Barella is expected to be unavailable after leaving Sunday’s 6-0 win over Lazio with an injury. Meanwhile, defender Francesco Acerbi remains out as he recovers from an injury sustained last month.

Reports suggest Barella may need around 10 days to regain full fitness. This would likely rule him out of Thursday’s Coppa Italia fixture against Udinese as well as next Monday’s Serie A match versus Como. Davide Frattesi is the leading candidate to replace Barella in the starting lineup if he is unable to play.

As for Acerbi, the 36-year-old center back is not expected to return before Inter’s Supercoppa Italiana match against Atalanta on January 2nd. Manager Simone Inzaghi may turn to young defender Tomas Palacios to fill in during Acerbi’s absence.

Inter are reportedly concerned about Acerbi’s recurring injury issues this season. The club is considering terminating his contract next summer to bring in younger reinforcements, while retaining Stefan de Vrij instead.