Inter president Beppe Marotta says the club have learned from their Champions League mistakes ahead of their meeting with Feyenoord, while confirming Mauro Icardi is not under consideration for a return.
The match at Stadion De Kuip in Rotterdam kicks off at 20.00 GMT (21.00 CET). Manchester United vs. Roma is also being played, with live coverage of both fixtures available through the Liveblog.
Inter’s European campaign has been difficult, with defeats by Real Madrid and Club Brugge followed by a narrow 1-0 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk after they were reduced to 10 men.
Their domestic form was also dented on Saturday, when they suffered their first Serie A loss of the season in a 3-1 Derby della Madonnina defeat by Milan.
“Winning the Champions League is of course a target everyone would like to achieve, and this squad didn’t quite get there despite great results like winning the Scudetto, Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana,” Marotta told Sky Sport Italia.
“We learned from the mistakes made along the way, so we hope to eventually climb this mountain that is filled with obstacles and hidden dangers.”
The defeat by Milan left Inter three points behind Serie A leaders Lazio, although the reigning Scudetto and Coppa Italia holders remain the favourites for the title.
Marotta said the club, coach and squad were working closely together despite the recent setbacks.
“The team, coach and club speak on a daily basis, this is a very healthy group because there are no bad apples,” he said.
“We can win or lose, but I want to point out Inter lost only three of the last 40 Serie A matches, and those were all against Milan.”
Inter have activated a clause to extend Federico Dimarco’s contract by one season, while Hakan Calhanoglu is still waiting for discussions over his future.
“We are not feeling anxious, there are many clubs in a similar situation,” Marotta said.
“The only player whose contract is running down is Calhanoglu, but we have a very good rapport with him. Dimarco is a pure Inter fan, we exercised this option to extend for a year and during the next few months we’ll be able to discuss a further extension, because he confirmed his desire to stay, and we want him to continue too. A sense of belonging is very important.”
Inter’s forward options have been reduced by injury and illness. Lautaro Martinez is injured, while Pio Esposito and Ange-Yoan Bonny missed the derby after a flu bug spread through the squad, leaving Marcus Thuram as the only available forward.
Asked about reports that free agent Icardi had offered himself to Inter, Marotta said: “I don’t know who he proposed himself to, but we didn’t hear anything about it.”
Icardi played for Inter from 2013 to 2019.
“This is a player who gave a lot to Inter, but honestly, he is not part of our plans, just as we are not looking for a fifth striker,” Marotta added.
“It was a fluke that the absences were all in the same area of the team, but we have no problem with goals, as we are one of the most prolific sides in Italy.
“Cristian Chivu is a modern coach who knows how to get the best out of players.”
