Inter’s Lautaro Martinez took medication up to Champions League final to play

Inter Milan’s striker, Lautaro Martinez, has opened up about his challenging 2023 season with the Italian club and his national team, Argentina, in a candid interview with TyC Sports.

The Argentinian international revealed that he played the initial months of the season suffering from an ankle problem. Martinez is quoted as saying in his recent conversation with TyC Sports, “I had an ankle injury, but I didn’t want to stop because at that time both Lukaku and Correa were also injured at Inter. I was the only striker left and I played by taking tablets and having injections.”

Martinez continued to grapple with the same problem post the World Cup and during his holidays following the Champions League final. “Prior to the match with the United Arab Emirates, I spoke to [Lionel] Scaloni and asked him to let me rest so that I could be in good health for the World Cup,” the striker mentioned.

Despite the searing pain during the match against Saudi Arabia, Martinez gritted his teeth and played on. However, his struggle didn’t end there as it was challenging for him to train or use the top of his foot to strike the ball, and his ankle was gradually losing sensitivity. The forward admitted candidly, “It was very difficult to play in that way. The pain didn’t allow me to train, to kick with the top of my foot. Sometimes during some actions, I saw stars.”

In these turbulent times, Martinez admitted he isolated himself and went through a tough period, often relying on the support of his family, who he would frequently invite to be by his side. Despite his struggles, he remained determined and soldiered on, even when it started to become unbearable.

Looking back on the challenging period, Martinez reflected, “I tried to overcome those moments with [my family], but it was difficult because I was the top scorer of the Scaloni era before the World Cup.” His resolve and commitment to both his club and country are certainly commendable, and it will be interesting to see how he rebounds in the upcoming season.