Inter Handed Major Fitness Boost Ahead of Barcelona Showdown | OneFootball

Benjamin Pavard is on track to return to Inter Milan’s starting line-up for Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final second leg against Barcelona. According to Gazzetta dello Sport, the 29-year-old has made rapid progress in his recovery and will likely reclaim his spot from Yann Bisseck.

Pavard missed the first leg of the semi-final after spraining his ankle during last weekend’s Serie A clash with Roma, forcing him to sit out the 3-3 thriller against Barcelona and the subsequent league win over Hellas Verona.

With his fitness improving quickly, the former Bayern Munich star looks set to slot back into the defense as Inter gear up for the decisive showdown at San Siro. Given Inter’s defensive struggle in Catalonia, Pavard’s return to the squad can encourage Simone Inzaghi.

German ace Yann Bisseck took Pavard’s place but should drop to the bench now that the Frenchman is ready to return to action. Naturally, some doubts remain over whether the World Cup winner can reach full fitness in time for Tuesday’s clash.

However, according to Gazzetta, the signs are encouraging for Inter. Pavard has already returned to training and is expected to complete a regular session tomorrow, putting him in strong contention to start against Barcelona.

Despite welcoming Pavard back, Inter are still sweating over Lautaro Martinez’s availability. El Toro had to come off at halftime in the first leg, forcing Inzaghi to leave him out of the squad for yesterday’s home encounter against Verona.