Inter, Lautaro will not recover in time for the derby: injury update and squad rotation at Venezia

Inter will not have their captain back for the derby against AC Milan. Here are all the doubts ahead of the Venezia match too.

First comes the trip to Venezia, then the derby against Milan. Inter face five intense days, with recent results adding extra weight to the derby.

For Cristian Chivu, it's time to weigh up rotation, changes and selection decisions while keeping an eye on injuries. Several players remain sidelined, including captain Lautaro Martinez.

Lautaro will not recover

San Siro will be predominantly decked out in AC Milan colours for the derby on Saturday 31 October at 8.45pm, with Milan playing at home. Inter captain and leader Lautaro Martinez will miss out. He will not recover in time from the thigh muscle injury he sustained after the defeat to Bruges, which has already kept him out of four matches.

Jones, Stones and Pavard

Curtis Jones, John Stones and Benjamin Pavard are close to being available to Chivu again, but all three will certainly miss the game against Venezia.

None of them has trained with the squad, and they remain "under observation" ahead of the derby.

Squad rotation in Venice

The derby matters, but Venezia cannot be taken lightly either. That could mean some rotation, though not too much. Akanji is expected to get a rest, with Carlos Augusto again taking a wide position in the back three and Bastoni returning to the centre. Calhanoglu could also sit out again to be at 100% for the derby, while Aleksandar Stankovic may get a chance. Up front, Markus Thuram could start on the bench and play no more than 30 minutes, with the Pio-Bonny partnership starting instead.