Saturday 9 January 2010

Internazionale v Siena: Preview


Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho is confident his threadbare squad will step up to the plate in their top-versus-bottom Serie A clash against Siena at the San Siro tomorrow evening.

Inter maintained their eight-point lead at the top of the table with a 1-0 win over Chievo on Wednesday but it came at a price, with defender Cristian Chivu suffering a fractured skull in a collision.

Midfielder Patrick Vieira has left to join big-spending Premier League side Manchester City, while striker Mario Balotelli - the match-winner at Chievo - is also missing from the squad.

The teenager was fined by 7,000 euros by the Lega Calcio for provoking the home fans, some of whom he claimed were racially abusing him. The club have announced they will appeal the sanction.

Mourinho knows Inter will miss Vieira, whose time at the San Siro was blighted by injuries, and expects the France midfielder to make a big impression at City - now managed by former Nerazzurri coach Roberto Mancini.

"It's easy for him, because he's going home, back to a championship that he knows,'' said Mourinho of the former Arsenal captain.

"He had two or three years here with one injury every month and without playing two consecutive matches. This year he has had zero injuries. Absolutely incredible.

"He's a player who will be missed by us and the team. There are players who are fundamental even if they are not playing all the time and he was one of these.''

Marco Materazzi returned to action as a substitute for Chivu on Wednesday but has since undergone another operation on his knee, while Esteban Cambiasso, Rene Khrin, Sulley Muntari and Davide Santon are also out.

Inter's troubles mean youngsters Giulio Donati, Alen Stevanovic, Lorenzo Crisetig and Denis Alibec have all been included in the squad.

Mourinho admitted: "It's not an easy moment. We have many players out. But the reply of all those who have come into the team has always been positive and this gives us all confidence.

"We are in difficulty, but we were in difficulty at Chievo, too, and the reply was positive. Tomorrow we are at home so we will have more fans with us.''

The former Chelsea manager, though, does not believe Siena's position will make life easier for his side.

"I remember last year. Inter top against Torino bottom. It ended 1-1, we dropped two points and almost three at the end of the match. These are difficult, complicated matches,'' he added on www.inter.it.

Siena coach Alberto Malesani wants to see more from his side after a limp display that saw them surrender 5-1 at home to Fiorentina last time out.

Malesani insists he would have understood his players losing to the European hopefuls but was distinctly unimpressed with the manner in which they slumped to defeat.

With his side four points adrift of safety at the bottom of Serie A, a match against the league leaders may not be the ideal opportunity to record a first win in three.

Nevertheless, Malesani is still hoping for an improved performance.

"It was a very strange game against Fiorentina,'' said Malesani. "You can lose against Fiorentina, a very good side, but not in that manner.

"Despite my team producing a good start to the game, we found ourselves three goals down and, from then on, everything just became more and more difficult.''

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