Soccer Football - Serie A - Torino v Inter Milan - Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino, Turin, Italy - May 11, 2025 Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi applauds fans after the match REUTERS/Massimo Pinca
(Reuters) -Inter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi says careful squad management is crucial as he tried to balance domestic duties with the looming Champions League final.
Despite the relatively controlled 2-0 Serie A win at Torino on Sunday, Inter were without several key players — striker and captain Lautaro Martinez, goalkeeper Yann Sommer, and midfielder Davide Frattesi were among those left out of the starting lineup.
The 49-year-old has opted to rotate his key players to ensure the long season does not wear them down as they try and complete the Serie A-Champions League double.
"I need to give some players rest time after a long and hard season," Inzaghi, whose side face Paris St Germain in the Champions League final on 31 May, told Sky Sport Italia.
"For the players who were absent today, I don’t think we’ll get any of them back (for the next match) against Lazio, but we’ll see for the final match with Como.
"People say Inter have a small squad but we don’t have the budget of PSG, Manchester City or Bayern Munich, so we need to be better in terms of organisation. With this heart, we can fight it out with everyone."
With Napoli playing later on Sunday against Genoa, Inter and Inzaghi are waiting to see if they have caught up with the Serie A leaders, with just two rounds remaining.
"I said before the game, unfortunately the Scudetto is no longer in our hands, but we need to keep playing with focus like we did tonight, giving our all against a team that hadn’t lost yet in front of their home fans. We needed a tough performance and that’s what it was," he said.
Inzaghi also praised Nicola Zalewski's effort in the match, that included an early goal after a solo-effort.
"He is doing very well and has a lot of quality. He actually started out as a mezzala (half-winger) and can also work as a wing-back," Inzaghi said.
(Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
