The owner of Chivu was injured again. Two players, out! » The coach's decision for the play-off with Bodo/Glimt
Article by Daniel Scorpie – Published Tuesday, February 17, 2026, 11:35 / Updated Tuesday, February 17, 2026 11:39
Hakan Calhanoglu (32 years old) will not travel with Inter for the first leg of the Champions League play-off. Returned after eight games on the touchline in the derby with Juventus, the Turkish midfielder accuses muscle problems and Chivu does not risk an aggravation of the injury. Especially in Norwegian conditions, from Bodo, with synthetic turf and winter weather.
Inter will leave today, at noon, for Norway, where on Wednesday evening they will compete in the play-off round to qualify for the “eighties” of the Champions League.
Cristi Chivu had to leave two of his midfielders in Milan, both having medical problems and becoming unavailable at the match with Bofdo/Glimt (22:00, livetext on GSP.ro, live on Digi Sport 1 and Prima Sport 1).
Hakan Calhanoglu has muscle fatigue in his calf and Frattesi has a fever and gastroenteritis. Both stay at home!
It is about the starter Hakan Calhanoglu and the reserve Davide Frattesi. The Turk, who was on the touchline for eight matches at Inter, returned on Saturday, in the 3-2 draw with Juventus, a match in which he entered the 54th minute, in place of Nicolo Barella, who had just recovered from an injury.
As reported by fcinternews.it, the wearer of the nerazzurro jersey number 20 is feeling it “muscle fatigue in the quadriceps of the right calf and the decision was made not to risk it, especially since in Bodo it will be played on a synthetic turf)”.
Hakan Calhanoglu, in the derby won by Inter, 3-2 with Juventus / Photo: Imago
The opponent of the Romanian national team for more than five weeks from Istanbul, in the semi-final of the play-off for qualifying for WC 2026, has no serious problems and Cristi Chivu chose to manage him, as he is tempted to offer a break for several starters. And he completed the team with Leonardo Bovo, from the Prmavera team.
Davide Frattesi will also stay in Milan. Used in six out of eight games in the single group of the Champions League (235 minutes, with two appearances as a starter), the Italian midfielder has a fever and is suffering from gastroenteritis. Because of which he could not even prepare in the last days.
A likely Inter squad could look like this tomorrow night: Sommer – Darmian, Acerbi, Bastoni – Diouf, Barella, Sucic, Mkhitaryan, Carlos Augusto – M. Thuram, Bonny.
“Targeted exercise and smart conservation, a kind of mental Feng Shui. Reorganize your thoughts and reset yourself!”
Speaking of preparation, the Romanian coach made two important decisions before moving to Norway. The first was that he took his team from the base of Appiano Gentile and he took her to an artificial grass field where Inter's juniors train. For his players to adjust to Bodo's synthetic turf.
Cristi Chivu prepares the Champions League play-off round with Bodo/Glimt / Photo: inter.it
“For the first time this season, Chivu took his team to Interell, choosing the kind of focus you'd expect for key games. He doesn't want repercussions from last Saturday's refereeing controversy, nor for that storm to have repercussions in the first leg of the playoffs.
Chivu calls for all the negativity built up against Bastoni, individually and as a team, to be turned into positive energy and extra motivation to overcome the Norwegian test.
Targeted physical training and intelligent mental conservation with a kind of mental Feng Shui. Reorganize your thoughts, reset yourself and remove the clouds that overshadowed even the first important victory of the season”, writes La Gazzetta dello Sport today.
Chivu is trying to strengthen his two teams: Inter in the Champions League and the one with Lecce, which is coming out from behind the mountains of snow. It's a matter of picks, rotations, possible rest periods and therefore lineups. Bodo is a crossroads, Chivu knows that. For this reason, now more than ever, he wants a solid Inter
La Gazzetta dello SportItalian daily
At tonight's press conference, Baston will break his silence!
The Serie A leader's technician changed the usual schedule of a European trip. Inter is no longer doing the “finishing”, i.e. no longer conducting the training session at home, but has moved the training “away” to Aspmyra Stadion, also to test the playing surface of the Bodo/Glimt clash.
Referee Federico La Penna removes Kalulu at the end of the first half of the Inter – Juventus 3-2 derby / Photo: Imago
At tonight's press conference, he will also be present Alessandro Bastoni. The Nerazzurri defender, who caused the scandal in the derby with Juventus, is expected to give his point of view after being attacked and criticized from all sides.
Indeed and death threats on social mediawhich is why the Italian international and his wife, Camilla, closed their accounts and avoided any statement.
