Inter Milan captain Lautaro Martínez has spent the week in a carefully managed rehabilitation programme after a minor hamstring strain, yet club doctors remain confident he will spearhead the attack against PSG. The Argentine’s energy sets the tempo for Simone Inzaghi’s 3 5 2 approach, pressing centre backs and dropping into half spaces to link midfield runners with Marcus Thuram’s off shoulder movement.

Martínez’s value is measurable. He owns seven goals and three assists in the current Champions League run and his opener in the Allianz Arena quarter final silenced Bayern supporters before an eventual aggregate victory. According to Opta tracking he averages nineteen high intensity presses per match, five more than any other forward left in the competition.

Team mates credit the skipper for vocal leadership as much as finishing touch. Midfielder Nicolo Barella described him as the heartbeat of the dressing room and a player who reminds colleagues of the club’s grand history every time they cross the white line. That sense of responsibility became evident during the penalty shootout win over Barcelona when Martínez volunteered to take the first kick despite the injury niggle.

Physiotherapists alternated pool sessions and isometric band work to rebuild hamstring elasticity, and the striker completed light ball drills on Wednesday without discomfort. Final clearance will follow a sprint test set for Monday at Appiano Gentile, where GPS trackers will compare acceleration curves to pre injury baselines.

Inter’s tactical blueprint relies on rapid vertical transitions and no substitute replicates Martínez’s combination of hold up strength and instinctive finishing. Should he pass the final fitness hurdle, the Nerazzurri will feel the scales tilt a little closer to equilibrium when they walk into the roar of seventy thousand in Munich.