Inter lineup vs. River Plate: Predicted XI for Club World Cup clash as triple fitness boost 'revealed'

Inter Milan head coach Cristian Chivu is expected to receive numerous fitness boosts ahead of Wednesday's Club World Cup battle with River Plate in Group E.

The Nerazzurri's 2-1 success over Urawa Red Diamonds last time out has them second in the section with four points, only behind the Argentinians on goal difference, meaning that victory will assure them of a last-16 place as group winners.

Chivu has been forked to work around some key absences in the USA so far, but a report from Tuttosport - via FCInterNews - claims that a trio of infirm stars are now primed to return.

Denzel Dumfries, Davide Frattesi and Hakan Calhanoglu are all reportedly on track to be fit for the midweek battle, but Benjamin Pavard, Marcus Thuram, Piotr Zielinski and Yann Bisseck will not make the cut.

With Thuram still on the sidelines, Sebastiano Esposito should hold the fort alongside captain Lautaro Martinez up top, holding off the threat of his younger brother Francesco Pio Esposito.

A fully-fit Dumfries and Calhanoglu should slot straight back into the bank of five in the middle, where the veteran Henrikh Mkhitaryan should also return for a game of this magnitude.

The same goes for Francesco Acerbi and Alessandro Bastoni at the back, as the Italian duo rejoin Stefan de Vrij in front of Yann Sommer.

Inter Milan possible starting lineup:

Sommer; De Vrij, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Esposito, Martinez

Written by
Ben Knapton