The latest Inter Milan injury update has confirmed that Francesco Pio Esposito has been ruled out of the Club World Cup R16 clash vs Fluminense.
Head coach Cristian Chivu will once again have to rotate his lineup. Esposito had been primed to start after scoring on his full debut against River Plate on Thursday.
The Romanian boss heads into Monday’s match off the back of two wins and a draw in his opening three matches. The Nerazzurri started their Club World Cup campaign with a 1-1 stalemate against Monterrey.
Chivu then oversaw a 2-1 victory against Urawa Red Diamonds before beating the Argentine giants 2-0 at the Lumen Field in Seattle.
Last training session in Charlotte, pre-match activities and a visit to Michael Jordan's temple 🏀
We're all set: it's time for #InterFluminense 👊#ForzaInter #FIFACWC #TakeItToTheWorld pic.twitter.com/iHKYNzDHVm— Inter ⭐⭐ (@Inter_en) June 30, 2025
Inter Milan Injury Update
Inter Milan’s predicted lineup to play Fluminense won’t see wholesale changes from the side who beat River Plate 2-0 on Thursday.
However, the most notable absentee comes in the shape of Francesco Pio Esposito. The 20-year-old starred against River and scored the opening goal on his full Inter debut.
Head coach Cristian Chivu explained that Esposito won’t feature due to a minor thigh injury. The Romanian boss confirmed he pulled out of training because of the issue.
“Unfortunately Pio will not be available for the match June 30, 2025. He’s picked up a problem with his thigh flexor [in training], and we decided it’s best to manage it.”
Elsewhere, Davide Frattesi has been ruled out for the rest of the tournament. The midfielder has already returned to Italy to undergo more tests after initially struggling with fatigue at the end of last season.
“He tried everything to come back. And it seemed that things were going in the right direction for him to return to the group.
“But unfortunately, he’s still been dealing with some discomfort,” said the Inter coach.
“He should go and have some more injury tests and take care of himself as best he can. Because there was no point in waiting to see what would happen.”
On a more positive note, Marcus Thuram is back in contention. Chivu admitted the Frenchman is back in full training with the group and confessed “I was happy to see him smiling.”
Who Will Replace Francesco Pio Esposito?
The Inter Milan injury update on Francesco Pio Esposito means brother Sebastiano Esposito should fill the void. The latter has made three appearances in the USA so far.
However, unlike his sibling, Sebastiano is yet to get on the scoresheet for Inter at the CWC. Something of which he will be keen to rectify against Fluminense in Charlotte on Monday.
Sebastiano was most recently on loan at Empoli. The forward scored 10 goals in all competitions for the Azzurri Empolesi but was unable to save the club from relegation to Serie B.
The 22-year-old has spent most of his time out on loan but is hoping to show the Nerazzurri faithful what he is made of. A goal on Monday will certainly help his cause.
Who Could Inter Milan Play In The Quarter-Final?
Should Inter Milan get the better of Fluminense at the Bank of America Stadium. Manchester City or Simone Inzaghi’s Al-Hilal will be their quarter-final opponents.
The best Crypto betting sites favor Inter to progress to the last eight. However, they’ll face an intriguing tie should they advance on Monday.
City are the current champions and famously beat Inter in the 2023 Champions League final. However, a match-up against recently-departed head coach Inzaghi would certainly garner plenty of attention.
