Inter Milan vs Arsenal – Match preview and team news

Inter Milan welcome Arsenal to San Siro in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night.

Arsenal will look to maintain their perfect record in Europe this term with their seventh in the competition against the Serie A leaders.

This encounter pits the two best defensive teams in the league phase, as Arsenal have conceded the fewest goals (one), while Inter have allowed four. However, the Italian outfit’s European campaign has hit the skids after back-to-back defeats to Liverpool and Atlético Madrid.

This is only the fourth time these two sides have ever met in competitive action, with the Nerazzurri winning twice and the Gunners winning the other one 5-1 in 2003.

Inter will be without crucial playmaker Hakan Çalhanoğlu, who remains unavailable due to a calf injury, with a return expected in mid-February. Denzel Dumfries , who underwent surgery in mid-December for an ankle problem, is expected to remain sidelined until mid-March.

Tomás Palacios continues his recovery from a thigh issue, while goalkeepers Josep Martínez and Raffaele Di Gennaro are both unavailable. Despite these absences, Inter have performed admirably in Serie A , where they sit atop of the table with a three-point advantage over AC Milan.

Arsenal travel to San Siro without three players for Tuesday’s Champions League encounter. Piero Hincapié has missed three consecutive matches due to a groin injury and is unavailable once again. Riccardo Calafiori , who suffered a muscle injury during warm-ups before Arsenal’s Brighton victory last month, remains sidelined for his seventh consecutive fixture. Max Dowman, the club’s youngest Champions League player, is also out with an ankle problem.

On a positive note, Kai Havertz and Cristian Mosera have been included in the squad travelling to Italy. Bukayo Saka was named on the bench for the goalless draw against Nottingham Forest before coming on for the final half hour as he had a niggle. His minutes are expected to be managed in the short term.

Mikel Arteta confirmed during his pre-match press conference that his side would be “assessing” the squad and making decisions “after a good night’s rest” regarding potential changes.

Inter are unbeaten across their last nine league matches, with their previous Serie A defeat occurring in November when they fell 1-0 to Milan in the derby. Most recently, they defeated Udinese 1-0 on Saturday, with Francesco Pio Esposito’s holding-up play proving instrumental in creating space for Lautaro Martínez to operate effectively.

In the Champions League, Inter sits in sixth position with 12 points from six matches. They have lost their last two UCL matches against Liverpool and Atletico Madrid.

Mikel Arteta’s side has won six consecutive Champions League matches. They sit on top of the UCL league table with 18 points and also sit on top of the Premier League table with 50 points from 22 matches, seven points clear of Manchester City.

Arsenal drew 0-0 against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, a result that left Arteta frustrated with his team’s finishing despite creating several clear-cut opportunities.

Inter Milan: Sommer; Acerbi, Akanji, Bastoni; Henrique, Barella, Mkhitaryan, Zielinski, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez

Arsenal: Raya; White, Saliba, Mosquera, Lewis-Skelly; Eze, Zubimendi, Merino; Madueke, Jesus, Martinelli

In the UK, Inter Milan vs Arsenal is being shown live on Amazon Prime Video.

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