Inter Milan Captain Admits: ‘From FIFA World Cup Final To Champions League Final I Needed Medicine To Play Through Pain’ | OneFootball

Inter Milan captain Lautaro Martinez admits he needed medicine to play through pain between the World Cup and Champions League finals.

The 26-year-old opened up about his struggles with injury to Argentine broadcaster Star+, via FCInterNews.

In many respects, last season was a great one for Inter striker Martinez.

The Nerazzurri may have finished a somewhat disappointing third in the Serie A table. But they won the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana trophies, and reached the Champions League final.

And with his national team, Martinez won the World Cup.

On an individual level, it was another season of growth for Martinez in an Inter shirt.

The former Racing Club finished as the Nerazzurri’s top scorer for the second season in a row.

And Martinez proved to be a talismanic figure for Inter in more ways than just his goalscoring.

The striker further cemented his importance to the team in terms of his linkup play and defensive workrate, both of which set the tone for how Inter play.

Lautaro Martinez Opens Up About Injury Struggles Between World Cup & Champions League Finals

But not everything about last season was straightforward for Martinez.

Injuries in particular were a big obstacle for the Argentine.

Martinez did not miss matches due to his injuries. On the contrary, the 26-year-old has developed a reputation as a player who is virtually always available, for club and country.

But that doesn’t mean that Martinez didn’t deal with any injuries.

In fact, the Argentine suffered from significant pain due to an ankle problem. This made it difficult for Martinez to play at his best for periods last campaign.

“I played the first few months in the league with an ankle problem,” Martinez said.

He admitted that “I didn’t want to take time out because Lukaku and Correa were also injured during that period for Inter.”

“So I was the only player available at striker, and I took injections to be able to play.”

Martinez noted that “After the World Cup and during my summer holidays after the Champions League final, I didn’t do any training.”

“Until shortly before the Champions League final I was taking medicine to be able to play,” he continued.

“Before the match against the United Arab Emirates, I spoke to Scaloni and asked him to give me a rest so I could go into the World Cup in good condition.”

The Inter striker continued that “Playing against Saudi Arabia I was in a lot of pain. I had taken an injection.”

“Even against Mexico I couldn’t do anymore,” he admitted.