Dumfries Faces Extended Absence Due to Ankle Injury

On November 10, Dumfries participated in a match against Lazio, which took place just before the international break. Unfortunately, after 56 minutes on the field, he was forced to exit the game due to an ankle injury. A few days later, although he joined the Netherlands national team camp, he was unable to participate in the 1-1 draw against Poland and the 4-0 victory over Lithuania that secured Oranje’s qualification for next year’s World Cup. Upon his return to Italy, Dumfries was ruled out of the subsequent defeat to their city rivals, AC Milan.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Dumfries’ injury may require a considerable recovery time, delaying his return to training. His condition will be evaluated this week, with expectations that he could be sidelined until late December. Consequently, he will miss Serie A matches against Pisa and Como, as well as crucial Champions League clashes against Atletico Madrid and Liverpool. Dumfries has been a vital asset for Inter, fulfilling the right-wing-back role assigned by coach Chivu, contributing significantly both defensively and offensively, including a goal against Udinese in the second match of the Serie A season.

In the recent derby against Milan, coach Chivu had to resort to Carlos Augusto, a left-footed left-back, to cover the right side, leaving Luis Henrique on the bench. Inter suffered a 1-0 defeat, with Christian Pulisic netting the only goal. This marked the third instance this season where Augusto has filled in for Dumfries, having previously replaced him during the match against Lazio. Should Dumfries remain sidelined, Henrique may be called upon to assume the role if Chivu prefers a natural right-footed player.

Looking ahead, Inter faces a challenging midweek fixture against Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid in Spain. With only two days to prepare, including travel, this match presents a pivotal opportunity to gain an advantageous position in the Champions League. Currently, Inter is level on points with Bayern Munich and Arsenal at the top of the table, although the German and English teams have a marginally better goal difference.