Inter Milan welcome a reshaped Atalanta to the San Siro for a mouthwatering Serie A clash on Saturday evening, with both teams aiming to kickstart their season.
The reigning champions, Inter, began their title defence with a draw away to Genoa, followed by a comprehensive victory over Lecce. The Nerazzurri will be boosted by the return of Lautaro Martinez, who missed the second round due to injury. The Argentine striker will partner Marcus Thuram up front, with only Stefan de Vrij and Tajon Buchanan remaining sidelined.
Atalanta, meanwhile, are still adjusting to life without Teun Koopmeiners, who moved to Juventus, and are holding onto Ademola Lookman, who only returned to training on Wednesday after a protracted transfer saga.
The Bergamo side has been dealt a significant blow with Nicolò Zaniolo's latest muscular injury, adding to an already lengthy absentee list that includes Sead Kolasinac, Ibrahim Sulemana, Gianluca Scamacca and Giorgio Scalvini. Isak Hien is also unavailable for the trip to Milan due to flu-like symptoms.
This has forced Atalanta into a makeshift defensive setup, with a midfielder and a wing-back forming part of a completely new backline. The match will mark the debut of Raoul Bellanova, making his return to the San Siro, where he previously played for Inter.
Another debutant for Atalanta is Lazar Samardzic, who arrives from Udinese following a transfer saga that saw him close to joining Inter. Samardzic will start in midfield alongside Marco Brescianini, who scored a brace on his debut against Lecce and is now set for his third consecutive start. Up front, Mateo Retegui continues to lead the line after netting three goals in his first two games.
However, Gian Piero Gasperini's side are looking to bounce back after a surprise defeat to Torino last weekend.
With both sides looking to make a statement in the early stages of the season, the clash between these two Serie A heavyweights promises to be a captivating affair. Kick-off at the San Siro is at 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT).
