- Title: Lukaku to miss Inter's Champions League clash at Barca
- Date: 1st October 2019
- Summary: BARCELONA, SPAIN (OCTOBER 1, 2019) (REUTERS) INTER MILAN TRAINING SESSION AT CAMP NOU IN PROGRESS INTER MILAN PLAYERS WARMING UP INTER PLAYER, LAUTARO MARTINEZ, DURING TRAINING SESSION INTER PLAYER, ALEXIS SANCHEZ, DURING TRAINING SESSION INTER HEAD COACH ANTONIO CONTE AND DEFENDER MILAN SKRINIAR ARRIVING AT PRESS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) INTER MILAN HEAD COACH, ANTONIO CONTE, SAYING: "We have the desire to confront Barcelona with all its factors, so even Messi on the pitch. We are speaking about a unique champion. Let's see, let's see tomorrow about their formation, we need to be ready to confront Barcelona with or without Messi." TRAINING SESSION IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) INTER MILAN HEAD COACH, ANTONIO CONTE, SAYING: "In this moment, the most important game for us is the one against Barcelona. I don't think we need motivation, because just the name Barcelona already stimulates us. So we will be very, very focussed on tomorrow's game, knowing it will be a tough game, but at the same time it is a game that… we will have to take another step (up), another step." SANCHEZ DURING TRAINING SESSION SKRINIAR WATCHING ON DURING TRAINING (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) INTER MILAN DEFENDER, MILAN SKRINIAR, SAYING: "For all players it is nice to be able to play against the strongest players in the world, Messi and Ronaldo (referring to the match against Juventus). But one needs to be ready, for everything, even if Messi plays, or doesn't play, because I think Barcelona is not just Messi, there are many other strong players. So as I said before, we need to be ready, we have worked really well and tomorrow will be a nice challenge." INTER MILAN GOALKEEPER SAMIR HANDANOVIC DURING TRAINING SESSION TRAINING SESSION IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) INTER MILAN HEAD COACH, ANTONIO CONTE, ON ROMELU LUKAKU'S ABSENCE, SAYING: "There is no (Romelu) Lukaku. He didn't leave with us because he had a little problem with his quadriceps. It's a situation that has been going on for a few days, about 10 days, but he kept lamenting about this problem, so we did some medical tests, negative (no problem), but the player still kept lamenting about this pain so we preferred not to take any risks. I repeat, we need to respect the player's sensations and it had been already 10 days that he was having these problems." DEFENDER DIEGO GODIN TRAINING VARIOUS OF INTER TRAINING WIDE OF INTER TRAINING
- Embargoed: 15th October 2019 21:16
- Keywords: UEFA Champions League Inter Milan Antonio Conte Barcelona Lukaku Group F
- Location: BARCELONA, SPAIN
- City: BARCELONA, SPAIN
- Country: Spain
- Topics: Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA001AZ9OU9R
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku has been ruled out of Wednesday's (October 2) Champions League group stage clash at Barcelona due to a thigh injury, manager Antonio Conte said on Tuesday (October 1).
Lukaku, who was signed for around 80 million euros from Manchester United in the summer, is the club's leading goal scorer in Serie A alongside midfielder Stefano Sensi, with three goals.
Conte said that their match against Barcelona was all the Serie A side are focussing on and a big step up for the Nerazzuri - with or without Lionel Messi who is doubtful for the match with an abductor injury.
Inter are top of Serie A with a perfect record after six games and also play second-placed Juventus in a top-of-the-table clash on Sunday, but Conte said he was not looking further ahead than the Camp Nou.
Conte's men needed a last-minute Nicolo Barella goal to rescue a point at the San Siro in their opening Group F match against unfancied Slavia Prague, while Barcelona drew 0-0 at Borussia Dortmund.
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