Lautaro Martinez facing a month out with a hamstring strain

“Keep your head down and work; that’s the only way to improve.” Inter Milan captain Lautaro Martinez faces a month-long layoff with a left thigh hamstring strain sustained during a Champions League match, ruling the striker out of upcoming European fixtures and the end-of-month Milan derby.

Tests at Humanitas Institute Confirm Strain

Inter Milan confirmed that their captain underwent clinical and diagnostic tests on Thursday morning following a 4-3 defeat to Club Brugge at Stadio San Siro. The tests, performed at the Humanitas Institute in Rozzano, revealed a muscle strain in the hamstrings of his left thigh. The physical issue has proven more complex than initially anticipated, leaving the squad without its main goal threat during a congested stretch of fixtures.

Following the match, Martinez addressed the team’s defeat on social media.

Keep your head down and work; that’s the only way to improve.

Lautaro Martinez, via ANSA

The club captain took to his personal social media channels last night to share his perspective with supporters after the team dropped points in European competition. According to the club’s official announcements, the tests carried out by medical staff on Wednesday morning and Thursday confirmed the severity of the issue, which affects the hamstrings of his left thigh.

Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martinez scored during this week's 4-3 defeat to Club Brugge in the Champions League at the San — Photo: afp.com

Seven Fixtures Missed Across Serie A and Champions League

Press reports and sports outlets place the expected layoff at about a month, meaning the team must handle a demanding block of seven matches without their captain and leading scorer, who has already netted four times in the league this season for the reigning Serie A champions. The timeline keeps the Argentine forward sidelined until the next international break in November.

The absence covers domestic and European encounters. The striker will miss Saturday’s fixture against Bologna, a European match against Shakhtar Donetsk, and subsequent league meetings with Fiorentina and Venezia. Most notably, the timeline sidelines him for the Milan derby on October 31, alongside upcoming matches against Feyenoord and Como before the November break.

MILAN, ITALY - OCTOBER 13: Lautaro Martinez of FC Internazionale Milano scores his team’s first goal during the UEFA — Photo: Football Italia

The international friendly match schedule and previous appearances in Cordoba, Argentina, contrast sharply with his current physical setback, as the team now faces a critical stretch without their focal point. The European campaign also sees the side sitting on zero points in the league phase after the recent 3-4 reverse at the Giuseppe Meazza stadium in Milan.

Reworking Inter’s Attack Without the Captain

With the squad sitting at the top of the Serie A standings above second-placed Lazio on goal difference, the technical staff will lean on alternative attacking combinations. Coach Cristian Chivu faces an immediate tactical puzzle in redistributing attacking responsibilities.

Chivu will pair Marcus Thuram and Pio Esposito in attack while the captain recovers, with Ange-Yoan Bonny serving as the first alternative off the bench. While the club works toward a recovery timeline, no return date is officially guaranteed until the player completes his rehabilitation, though press reports point to an away trip to Atalanta on November 22 as a realistic target following the international break.

Medical evaluations will continue as the healing process unfolds, with Italian media outlets noting that recovery durations can vary based on individual physical responses to flexor and hamstring rehabilitation protocols.

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