Inter Milan open their 2025 FIFA Club World Cup campaign on Matchday 1 against Monterrey, but the absence of two key names from the starting XI raised immediate questions. Midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu and right-back Denzel Dumfries were both left out of the lineup.
Calhanoglu, Dumfries, and also forward Marcus Thuram were among the most notable omissions from the starting side. Inter’s coaching staff confirmed that all three are dealing with physical setbacks that either ruled them out of the match completely or limited their availability.
Calhanoglu was not fit to return from his most recent injury in time for the opener, while Dumfries suffered a setback with an adductor issue during training ahead of the tournament. Neither was cleared to play.
Thuram, meanwhile, was named to the bench and remains a game-time option. The French striker is still recovering from muscle discomfort and is not at full strength. He could see limited action against Monterrey depending on match flow.
Denzel Dumfries reacts dejectedly after the UEFA Champions League Final 2025 between Paris Saint-Germain and FC Inter. (Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Dumfries’ grueling season
Dutch defender Dumfries has endured a packed schedule this year, appearing in 55 matches across all competitions for both club and country. Following Inter Milan’s UEFA Champions League final, Dumfries immediately reported for international duty, featuring in back-to-back World Cup qualifiers for the Netherlands against Finland and Malta.
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As a result of muscle fatigue sustained during training, new Inter Milan head coach Cristian Chivu opted to replace Dumfries in the starting lineup with Carlos Augusto.
Inter Milan’s lineup against Monterrey
With several players dealing with muscle fatigue, Inter Milan head coach Cristian Chivu was forced to make some changes from the lineup that featured in the UEFA Champions League Final.
Here is the starting XI that took the field against Monterrey: Yann Sommer; Benjamin Pavard, Alessandro Bastoni, Francesco Acerbi, Matteo Darmian; Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Kristjan Asllani, Nicolo Barella, Carlos Augusto; Lautaro Martínez, Sebastiano Esposito.
