Inter dealt brutal blow as Denzel Dumfries' ankle injury more severe than initially thought

Dumfries started the game against Lazio on November 10, which was played just before the November international break. However, after 56 minutes of action, he had to be taken off after he sustained an ankle injury. He then joined the Netherlands national team camp days later, but had to sit out the 1-1 draw against Poland and 4-0 win against Lithuania that booked Oranje a place in next year's World Cup. After retuning to Italy, Dumfries was ruled out of Sunday's defeat to their San Siro rivals.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, it might take him a significant period of time to nurse Dumfries' ankle and allow him to return to the training pitch. This week, his injury status will be assessed and it is believed that he will be out until late December. This means he'll miss Serie A games against Pisa and Como, as well as Champions League fixtures against Atletico Madrid and Liverpool, among others. Entrusted by Chivu with the right-wing-back role, Dumfries' impact was immense, whether it be on the defensive front or the offensive third, as he scored a consolation goal against Udinese in the second game of the Serie A campaign. 

Against Milan in the derby, Chivu was forced to use Carlos Augusto, a left-footed left-back, on the right side as he placed Luis Henrique on the bench. Inter lost the game 1-0, with Christian Pulisic scoring the decisive goal. It is the third time Augusto has been used in that position this season, having also replaced Dumfries in the role when he came off against Lazio. Henrique could be called in to fill the position while Dumfries is out should Chivu prefer to have a natural right-footed player on that side.

Inter have a tough fixture ahead of them midweek, where they will face Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid in Spain. While they have just two days to prepare, including travel, the game offers a great opportunity for them to secure the pole position in the Champions League. They sit level on points with Bayern Munich and Arsenal at the top of the table, though the German and English sides have a slightly better goal difference.