How much does the absence of Lautaro Martinez cost Cristi Chivu » When will the Argentine return to the field
Article by Aurelian Botezatu – Published on Tuesday, 24 March 2026, 08:16 / Updated on Tuesday, 24 March 2026 08:16
Gazzetta dello Sport took stock of him Inter in 2026, with and without the goalscorer Lautaro Martinez on the field.
Inter have entered a downward trend, with just two points obtained in the last 3 stages, and Italian journalists claim that one explanation for the decline is the absence of the team's captain and top scorer, Lautaro Martinez.
The Argentinian striker suffered a muscle injury 40 days ago in the first leg of the Champions League play-off with Bodo/Glimt, and the Nerazzurri have lost considerable attacking power since then.
Gazzetta dello Sport: “Inter win 77% of league games with Lautaro on the field and only 28.5% of them without”
“To understand how much Cristi Chivu needs Lautaro it would be enough to look at the raw numbers, but this would still be a partial interpretation. Apart from the goals he scores, the captain radiates leadership on the field and in the dressing room, even more so in difficult moments.
Other big names in his place do not have the same authority. In seven games without the Argentine, the team's goal average has plummeted. He is now at one goal per game, compared to 2.4 in Martinez's total. At the same time, results have also changed: the Champions League second-leg defeat against Bodo and the goalless Coppa Italia semi-final draw against Como are compounded by eight points from 15 available from five Serie A matches.
Wins only came against Lecce and Genoa before the derby failure and two consecutive draws against Atalanta and Fiorentina. Simply put, the Nerazzurri win 77% of their league matches with Lautaro on the field and only 28.5% of them without him” – writes Gazzetta dello Sport in its Tuesday edition.
Lautaro Martinez would return in the match against AS Roma
The good news is that Lautaro Martinez is on the right track and could be available for Chivu when the championship resumes. More precisely on April 5, when Inter meets AS Roma in Milan.
Gazzetta dello Sport: “This week, Lautaro will train normally, with the group. He pressed to start earlier, but Chivu did not let him.”
Current standings in Serie A
