Saturday's Bologna vs Inter at the Dall'Ara comes with more than a normal line-up watch. Inter travel on Saturday 17 October at 20.45 with a possible change in goal, Lautaro Martínez missing, and Francesco Pio Esposito favoured over Bonny to partner Thuram.
Speaking to TuttoMercatoWeb, Chivu said: "I won't change him just because the people ask for it, that would be unfair". That sits awkwardly with the talk around Josep Martínez and Ivan Provedel, because the goalkeeper spot is one of the calls Inter are still weighing up.
The goalkeeping decision
The goalkeeper question is the one drawing most attention. One line of reporting has Martínez still in place, while another has Provedel in the conversation, so this is not a settled switch, only a live one.
Inter can afford to argue over the details because the numbers in attack remain strong. They have scored 18 and conceded 8 in 6 Serie A matches, and they are top of Serie A with 16 points from 6 games.
Bologna's absences and Inter's front line
The bigger immediate loss for Inter is Lautaro's absence. He has 4 Serie A goals in 5 appearances, which is why his place in the projected XI changes the feel of the attack, even before you get to the bench options.
Pio Esposito is the more likely replacement beside Thuram, and his 6.96 rating across 5 Serie A appearances points to a player ready for a bigger role. Bologna are also missing Riccardo Orsolini, who has not been called up, while Arthur Theate is back in the group and available.
Chivu's choice in goal may still go either way, but the forward reshuffle looks more advanced. If Inter keep Martínez in goal, Pio Esposito still appears set for a start, and Saturday's 20.45 kick-off will bring at least one selection call into the open.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →
