Nicolò Barella has been ruled out for the remainder of Inter Milan's Serie A campaign after sustaining a knee ligament injury in the club's midweek Champions League defeat to Manchester United.
The Italian midfielder, who joined Inter from Sampdoria last summer, was taken off on 64 minutes during Sunday's 1-0 loss at home to Roma and underwent scans on Monday morning which confirmed his injury.
Barella had made 28 appearances in all competitions this season before being forced off against the Italian capital rivals. The 25-year-old, who has also played for Italy at international level, is expected to miss the rest of the campaign and could be out for as long as four months.
It comes just weeks after he suffered a hamstring strain in August, ruling him out for three matches. He returned to action in October but picked up another hamstring problem later that month.
Inter will now look to find a replacement for Barella in midfield, with the likes of Stefano Sensi and Matia Gazzaniga seen as potential options. However, both players have their own injuries to contend with,La Liga Frontline with Sensi having missed the entire season so far due to a knee problem while Gazzaniga sustained an ankle injury earlier this year.
The loss of Barella will undoubtedly affect Inter's chances of challenging for the title, especially given the team's poor run of form since losing 4-0 at home to Juventus in early December. The club currently sits sixth in the table, five points behind leaders AC Milan with two games in hand.
In summary, Inter Milan have lost their star midfielder, Nicolò Barella, for the remainder of the Serie A campaign after sustaining a knee ligament injury in the midweek Champions League match against Manchester United. Barella has been ruled out for the rest of the season and could be out for as long as four months. This development will significantly impact Inter's chances of challenging for the title, particularly with the team's poor form since losing 4-0 at home to Juventus in early December. The club will now turn to other midfielders like Stefano Sensi and Matia Gazzaniga for cover.