Alarm bells sounded when Lautaro Martínez was forced to come off the pitch at halftime in the first leg of Inter Milan's Champions League semifinal clash with Barcelona.
Both Barcelona and Inter Milan lost two integral players to injury in their thrilling 3–3 draw in the first leg of the Champions League semifinals. The Catalans' starting right back Jules Koundé exited the game in the 42nd minute after suffering a hamstring injury and Martínez barely made it to halftime with what appears to be a thigh injury.
The Inter Milan striker had his head in his hands as he hobbled off the pitch and down the tunnel. Simone Inzaghi replaced Martínez with Mehdi Taremi at halftime, but the Iran international created zero chances and did not manage a single shot. It was Denzel Dumfries who carried the Nerazzurri, bagging a brace and an assist in his 81 minutes on the pitch.
With all to play for in the second leg at the San Siro, Inter Milan is waiting on bated breath as Martínez undergoes further testing.
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Will Lautaro Martinez Be Available vs. Barcelona in Second Leg of Champions League Semifinals?
Martínez is unlikely to feature for Inter Milan in the second leg of the Champions League semifinals. Although the club has yet to confirm the seriousness of his injury, Inzaghi did not have good news to share at his post-match press conference.
"Lautaro felt something in his leg and we will know more [on Thursday] after we run some tests, but it seems extremely unlikely that he can make it to the second leg, which will be a final for us," Inzaghi said.
"We hope to have [Benjamin] Pavard back next Tuesday, but I don't think we can expect the same from Lautaro, unfortunately," the manager added.
Pavard suffered an ankle injury in Inter Milan's 1–0 defeat to Roma on Sunday, Apr. 27, and missed out on the trip to Barcelona. The Frenchman is racing to be back for the second leg of the Champions League semifinals, but his status remains a doubt.
What is for certain is both Pavard and Martínez will miss Inter Milan's Serie A clash with Hellas Verona on Saturday, May 3. As the Nerazzurri continue their surge for the Italian and European crowns, they will have to make up for the loss of Martínez, who leads the team with 21 goals across all competitions this season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Will Lautaro Martinez Be Available vs. Barcelona in Champions League Semifinals Second Leg?.
