Inter Milan vs AS Roma – Match preview and team news

San Siro is braced for a pivotal Sunday-night encounter as Inter Milan attempt to arrest a four-match winless slide and protect their dwindling Serie A lead against a resurgent AS Roma.

Inter manager Cristian Chivu has received a timely boost with the return of captain Lautaro Martínez, who has shaken off a calf complaint to rekindle the “ThuLa” strike partnership alongside Marcus Thuram for the first time since February. Henrikh Mkhitaryan has also been deemed fit after a hamstring issue, though the Armenian veteran is expected to begin among the substitutes.

Yet the Nerazzurri remain without defender Yann Bisseck, sidelined by a right thigh strain, while left-sided defender Carlos Augusto must serve a one-match ban. Francesco Acerbi is poised to anchor the back three, with Manuel Akanji shifting wide to cover Bisseck’s absence. Despite the reshuffle, Inter’s spine remains formidable as they seek to exploit home advantage and re-ignite a title charge that has seen their advantage at the summit trimmed to six points.

Across the technical area, Roma counterpart Gian Piero Gasperini confronts a selection headache. Star creator Paulo Dybala is still recovering from a meniscus operation and will not return until late April, while top scorer Artem Dovbyk remains unavailable. The international break compounded matters: defender Wesley Franca and midfielder Manu Koné have both been ruled out with muscle problems.

There is respite in the form of Matias Soulé, who has recovered from a muscular complaint and is slated to operate as an attacking midfielder. With wide options depleted, on-loan full-back Kostas Tsimikas is set for a rare start at left wing-back, and Dutch forward Donyell Malen is poised to lead the line as a lone striker.

Inter’s recent form—three draws and a defeat in their last four outings—has invited pressure from the chasing pack. A 1-1 stalemate in Florence last time out exposed rare frailty, but Martínez’s comeback offers hope of an immediate upturn.

Roma, meanwhile, halted a five-match winless run with a hard-fought 1-0 home victory over Lecce that lifted them to sixth, just three points shy of the Champions League places. A positive result in Milan would turbo-charge their top-four push, though their away record remains a concern.

Probable line-ups Inter Milan (3-5-2): Sommer; Akanji, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Zielinski, Dimarco; Thuram, Martínez.

AS Roma (3-4-2-1): Svilar; Mancini, Ndicka, Hermoso; Celik, Cristante, El Aynaoui, Tsimikas; Soulé, Pellegrini; Malen.

UK viewers can catch the action live on TNT Sports 1 and stream via DAZN, with kick-off set for Sunday night under the San Siro lights.