Watch out, Juventus. Marcelo Brozovic is poised to return to the fold for Sunday’s Derby d’Italia following a spell on the sidelines with a calf injury.
Brozovic missed Inter’s last two outings – 1-1 draws against Torino and Fiorentina – and while the Nerazzurri were already enduring a slump before his issue arose, there’s no denying that Simone Inzaghi’s side desperately missed the Croatian’s controlling presence at the base of midfield.
In his absence, Matias Vecino and Hakan Calhanoglu tried to utmost to replicate Brozovic’s function, but they had little success.
At the start of the international break, the Croatian’s status for the Derby d’Italia was in serious doubt, but the latest reports suggest he’ll be fit for the trip to Turin.
Marcelo Brozovic has returned to Inter training & is in contention for Sunday’s Derby d’Italia against Juventus
Brozovic back in full group training today. pic.twitter.com/CJL9ZsSMQo
— Inter Xtra (@Inter_Xtra) April 1, 2022
Brozovic, who recently extended his Inter contract until 2026, returned to training on Friday and Corriere dello Sport (via Italian Football TV) reports that the Nerazzurri are optimistic over the 29-year-old’s fitness for Sunday’s derby.
The Croatian’s likely return is a massive boost for Inzaghi’s side as they attempt to get their Scudetto charge back on track with a win at the Allianz Stadium. Inter haven’t beaten Juventus in Turin since November 2012 and they head into Sunday’s game having won just one of their last seven games in Serie A.
Brozovic’s presence, though, means that Max Allegri will have to make a concerted effort to slow the Croatian down. The 29-year-old is the metronomic heartbeat of the Nerazzurri, and we saw Allegri – as well as Andrea Pirlo last season – try his utmost to mark him out of the Supercoppa Italiana in February before Juve ceded complete control after the first half.
Thus, it’s poised to be another chess match between regista and manager on Sunday.
Dusan Vlahovic, meanwhile, will be relishing his first Derby d’Italia with Stefan de Vrij unlikely to be fit enough to start. De Vrij, like Brozovic, has been out since Inter’s meaningless win at Anfield and the defender is thought to be further back in his recovery than the midfielder.
De Vrij’s probable absence leaves Inzaghi with a predicament. The Inter boss could either entrust veteran Andrea Ranocchia to stick with the physical 22-year-old, or bring in Danilo D’Ambrosio to play on the right of the three and move Milan Skriniar into the centre. The latter option would surely be wiser.