Lautaro Martínez expected to miss a month, including Inter’s Bologna trip

Inter are expected to be without Lautaro Martínez for a month after the forward suffered a strain to the flexor muscles in his thigh. The reported layoff puts him out of the away match against Bologna on Oct. 17, leaving the Serie A leaders to manage their next league test without him.

The timing gives Inter little room to adjust before that fixture. Martínez’s absence is a test of the squad’s options, rather than an immediate change to the club’s position in the table: Inter have 16 points from six games, with five wins and one draw, and sit top of Serie A.

The injury also arrives during a difficult spell in Europe. Inter have yet to earn a point after two Champions League matches, with the latest setback a home defeat to Bruges. That makes the Bologna trip an important next challenge for a side balancing a strong league start with a winless European campaign.

Club president Giuseppe Marotta offered a measured response to the injury when asked about Martínez at an event in Lombardy. “Injuries are part of the game,” he said. Asked about Inter’s mood after the Bruges defeat, Marotta added: “Optimism is part of my life.”

For now, the immediate consequence is clear: Martínez is expected to miss the trip to Bologna, and Inter must cover his absence while trying to protect their position at the top of the league. The reported month-long recovery period leaves the forward sidelined beyond that next fixture, though the article does not identify other matches he is expected to miss.