Derby Daze: Zielinski to Steer Inter’s Midfield in the Fiery Milan Clash
21 November 2025
Derby Derby Essentials: Inter's Midfield Questions
Reports suggest German defender Jan Biesik is pushing for a starting center-back role, while Piotr Zielinski is the favorite to replace the injured Henrikh Mkhitaryan, alongside Petar Susic in midfield.
Inter are gearing up to face Milan on Sunday at Giuseppe Meazza, for Round 12 of Serie A. The Derby della Madonnina remains a global spectacle even as injuries and selection doubts loom for both teams.
Italian sources indicate coach Kevo is weighing two likely starting plans. The main doubt focuses on central defense, with the German center-back Biesik potentially joining Alessandro Bastoni and Manuel Akanji in a three-man back-line.
Because Biesik has recently been deployed at right-back, Kevo has experimented with him in the center; if he starts, Francesco Acerbi and Stefan de Vrij could drop to the bench against the Rossoneri.
In the right-wing slot, despite Denzel Dumfries' absence due to the Dutch national team, left-back Carlos Augusto could move out of position to cover, which would keep Luis Henrique out again, underscoring he isn’t in Kevo's plans.
Midfield Dilemma: Zielinski or Susic in the Engine Room?
The second major doubt for Inter centers on midfield, where Henrikh Mkhitaryan's injury leaves a vacancy that Zielinski or Susic could fill.
Latest updates from La Gazzetta dello Sport suggest Zielinski is the likeliest choice over Susic, though Kevo will decide in the coming hours.
Derby Fears and Formlines
Inter’s camp has to contend with Dumfries missing training after returning from international duty with an ankle issue. Milan, meanwhile, are fretting over forward Santiago Gimenez who hasn’t trained at full capacity due to an ankle complaint, while late returns from Leao, Nkunku, and Pavlovic could shape the lineup.
Inter’s campaign under Kevo has seen a mix of heavy wins and sharp setbacks: a 5-0 thrashing of Torino was followed by 2-1 and 4-3 losses to Udinese and Juventus. A string of victories against Sassuolo, Cagliari, Cremonese, and Roma steadied the ship, with a hard-fought win at Fiorentina and an away win at Verona keeping them atop the table.
As of now, Inter sit on 24 points, level with Roma at the summit but two clear of Milan and Napoli, and they boast the league’s best goals for tally (26, ten more than any other side).
Milan, by contrast, opened with a shock 2-1 home loss to Cremonese, then rattled off four straight wins before a draw with Juventus and another win over Fiorentina, followed by a draw with Pisa. They sit third with 22 points, just two behind the leaders, and have shown inconsistency in recent matches with a couple of draws and narrow victories.
Punchline time: If the derby is a chess match, Inter’s goal is checkmate; if Milan wins, their fans will claim they invented hold-up play and the phrase “style over substance” got a rumor upgrade. And if the match ends in a draw, both teams will claim it as a victory for their grandmothers who predicted the score exactly—except they didn’t, because grandmothers are notoriously vague at tipping points. (Yes, I blame the coffee off the bench for the foggy stats.)
