Thuram: four goals and two assists since Napoli, now for Shakhtar

His header in Bologna came at the toughest moment: Palladino’s side were leading 1-0 and Inter needed a response before half-time. Marcus Thuram provided it, taking his tally to four league goals this season and drawing level with Lautaro Martínez as Inter’s leading scorer in Serie A. With the captain sidelined, that contribution carries even greater weight.

Italian sports daily Tuttosport traces an upturn that began against Napoli: from that match through to the trip to Bologna, the Frenchman registered four goals and two assists in the league alone. In Rome, he failed to score but set up Lautaro’s goal and came close to grabbing the winner late on. His consistency also stems, then, from his ability to create chances for his strike partner.

The start had been different. A couple of fitness issues had affected his final two games of last season’s league campaign and the World Cup, where he made just one appearance lasting a few seconds. Chivu had therefore managed his minutes: no involvement against Monza, 25 minutes at Cagliari and another place on the bench to start against Napoli. Coming on in the second half against Napoli marked a turning point in his involvement, even before his output improved.

Lautaro’s absence, which Tuttosport notes is provisionally expected to last around a month, now makes that improvement crucial to the attack. Next up are Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday 21 October at 21:00 CEST at the Meazza, Inter’s home ground, followed by Fiorentina on 25 October. Inter face two home fixtures across the Champions League and Serie A, with Thuram tasked with maintaining his form from recent league matches.