Conte could be without the services of the midfielder a for a prolonged period.
It was confirmed he requires knee surgery.
Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella will undergo surgery to remove a fragment of cartilage in his knee, the Serie A club have confirmed. Barella was withdrawn on the stroke of half-time in Saturday’s 3-0 win over Torino and visibly indicated his pain to medical staff.
In a statement on their official website, Inter Milan revealed the 22-year-old has damaged a fragment of cartilage in his knee, which will require surgery to be removed. No timescale has been put on how long he will be out of action for. According to a report from Italian media outlet Sky Italia, he will be out for at least one month, meaning he will only make his return on the pitch in 2020.
Speaking after the game, boss Antonio Conte said: “I really hope Barella doesn’t have anything particularly serious. Barella has grown exponentially over the last four months. He is a very important player for us and we can only hope the test results are not too bad. He’s a warrior and I hope he’s back on the pitch soon.”
The former Cagliari man has made 17 appearances across all competitions so far this season, scoring twice and his absence will be a big blow for the Nerazzurri coach, as now he is without three midfielders due to injuries, with both Stefano Sensi and Roberto Gagliardini still unable to play.
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