Inter are considering a bold team selection gamble by throwing both Hakan Calhanoglu and Nicolò Barella straight back into their starting lineup against Juventus, despite the midfield duo only recently returning from injury spells. According to Football-italia.net.
Inter weigh surprise Calhanoglu and Barella starts for Juventus Derby
The Nerazzurri enter Saturday’s Derby d’Italia at San Siro in sparkling form, having picked up 34 out of an available 36 points on their current Serie A run. Their only stumble came in a 2-2 draw with reigning Champions of Italy Napoli, showcasing their impressive consistency this season.
Calhanoglu returned to training on Tuesday for the first time since spraining his left soleus muscle against Napoli on January 11. Meanwhile, Barella had been sidelined with a right thigh issue just before the Champions League trip to Borussia Dortmund on January 28, raising questions about his readiness.
Considering the long lay-offs and importance of the match, it had been assumed that both would start on the bench against Juventus. However, Sky Sport Italia are increasingly suggesting that Cristian Chivu could throw both midfielders into the starting XI, keeping hold of Piotr Zielinski in a three-man midfield.
The tactical reshuffle would send Petar Sucic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan to the sidelines to begin with. Inter also have almost an empty treatment room, as only Denzel Dumfries remains out of action following ankle surgery, giving Chivu maximum selection flexibility for the crucial encounter.
