Inter’s return to Serie A against Parma on Saturday will come without Curtis Jones, whose first season in Italy has been interrupted just as he appeared ready to compete for a starting place.
The English midfielder stopped during training and medical tests identified an adductor muscle problem. His recovery is expected to take around 20 days, removing him from Cristian Chivu’s immediate plans after the international break.
Quick facts
- Curtis Jones has suffered an adductor muscle issue in training.
- The midfielder is expected to be unavailable for about 20 days.
- Inter face Parma on Saturday when Serie A resumes.
- Jones joined Inter from Liverpool in the summer for €30 million plus up to €5 million in bonuses.
- Hakan Calhanoglu, Piotr Zielinski, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Petar Sucic are the principal midfield options.
Jones had trained normally with the squad throughout the break and had put himself in contention to begin against Parma. For Chivu, the setback arrives in an area of the side that has depth but has also required careful management in recent weeks.
Calhanoglu is expected to return to the controlling role after his own injury lay-off. His availability would give Inter back a familiar reference point in midfield for the restart of the league campaign.
Zielinski returns from Poland duty after a demanding run of four matches, all of them started, amounting to 327 minutes. Mkhitaryan and Sucic are also in contention from the opening whistle as Chivu reshapes his selection without Jones.
The Parma match therefore becomes an early test of Inter’s resources rather than the opportunity Jones had been preparing for. His wait for a fuller role in Chivu’s championship plans will now extend into the weeks ahead.
