Inter duo to miss summit meeting
Tuesday, January 21, 2003
Article summary
Internazionale FC defenders Iván Córdoba and Francesco Coco each face a month out through injury.
Article body
Ligament damage
Colombian international Córdoba twisted his right ankle against the Umbrian side and subsequent scans have confirmed that he has ligament damage. The 26-year-old appears certain to miss Inter's next UEFA Champions League outing against FC Barcelona on 18 February, a match that could go some way towards deciding Group A supremacy.
Repeat injury
Córdoba is likely to be joined in the Camp Nou stands by Coco, a former Barcelona player. The Italian international did not emerge for the second half of Sunday's defeat after suffering a recurrence of the cartilage injury sustained at the start of December against Brescia Calcio.
Batistuta ineligible
Cúper is likely to use Marco Materazzi and Giovanni Pasquale as deputies for the injured pair in Serie A and for the trip to Barça. Both clubs have won their two second group stage fixtures so far, though Inter will be without the competition's leading scorer, nine-goal Hernán Crespo who has a thigh injury, for their summit meeting. New recruit Gabriel Batistuta is ineligible to replace his compatriot.
