Inter injury news: Mkhitaryan faces possible 6 weeks out & Thuram recovery progresses

Inter are concerned Henrikh Mkhitaryan could be ruled out for up to a month or more after the midfielder suffered a thigh injury in Saturday’s defeat away to Napoli.

The Armenian was forced off after 32 minutes, immediately signalling to the bench and leaving the pitch unable to continue.

The 35-year-old will undergo medical tests on Monday to determine the full extent of the damage to his left flexor, as per La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Early signs have not been encouraging, with Mkhitaryan still limping heavily on Sunday at Appiano Gentile, and the fear is he could be sidelined for 4-6 weeks depending on the grade of the injury.

Inter’s schedule makes the timing particularly delicate. After the November international break, Cristian Chivu’s side face the Milan derby on November 23 and then Atletico Madrid away on November 26 in the Champions League.

In the best-case scenario, Mkhitaryan could return around that period or shortly after, but a second-degree lesion would push his comeback well into December. Recovery time will depend not only on the scan results but also how the muscle responds to treatment and reconditioning.

There is, however, better news regarding Marcus Thuram. The French forward is making encouraging progress and is expected to increase his workload in training this week.

Inter will resume work on Monday and as the squad returns to Appiano to recover from the Napoli match and celebrate Cristian Chivu’s 45th birthday, Thuram will undergo his first full on-pitch session since the injury.

If all goes well, he should rejoin group training soon and be available for selection afterwards.