Simone Inzaghi could not assure Romelu Lukaku he would start again against Porto despite ending his goal drought on Saturday.
Lukaku has scored only three times since returning to Inter at the start of this season.
It has been a difficult campaign for the Belgium forward, who also failed to net at the World Cup in Qatar.
But a penalty against Udinese on Saturday gave Lukaku his first Serie A goal since August ahead of Wednesday's Champions League last-16 first leg against Porto.
That does not mean Lukaku is certain to start, however, as coach Inzaghi said in his news conference there were "doubts" about his line-up.
Edin Dzeko would be the obvious alternative to Lukaku, having netted 11 in all competitions this season, although the pair started together against Udinese.
Asked specifically about Lukaku and midfielder Marcelo Brozovic, Inzaghi said: "Lukaku has been working for longer and is improving. He is putting a great deal of effort into it.
"As for both, tomorrow we will try to make the best choices for Inter.
"Those who do not start will still be useful in the game. In games like these, the final minutes are those in which decisive actions can occur and spaces are freed up to exploit."
Inter have not been past the last 16 of the Champions League since the 2010-11 season, when they were playing as defending champions.
But having emerged from a difficult group that also included Barcelona and Bayern Munich, confidence is high.
"We face this tie with great confidence," Inzaghi said. "We reached it with an incredible path – on paper, Barcelona and Bayern Munich were teams that everyone wanted to avoid.
"You can see what Barca are doing in La Liga, and we know what Bayern are."
Simeone wary of PSG threat but calm about Atleti's Champions League struggles
Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone is wary of the challenge his team will face against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, despite the French giants' Champions League travails.
Atletico and PSG have both struggled in the competition's new-look league phase, with Los Colchoneros taking three points from three matches to sit one behind PSG.
They have won nine of their 16 fixtures against French opposition in Europe's elite club competition but have never crossed paths with Ligue 1's most successful side.
"I didn't know that," Simeone told reporters when that face was highlighted at Tuesday's pre-match press conference.
"We need to stay calm, compete like in every match and do our best.
"I love the way PSG play, they have a very good game, they are dynamic and are marked by their coach.
"They have young, dynamic players, who we don't know where they're going to go, and some fixed points to pin people down in defence. From there they can grow.
"They have a lot of guys moving around in different positions from midfield and they play the kind of football that Luis Enrique has always played."
Atletico are coming off two defeats against Lille (3-1) and Benfica (4-0) after they won their Champions League opener 2-1 against RB Leipzig.
"It is still early, we are just starting, the season is long and the numbers are done at the end," Simeone said.
"It is normal to be worried, but we have to wait for the objectives, to be able to give a correct opinion. It will be a tough match, that is for sure."
Atletico will face the French champions without suspended defender Jose Maria Gimenez as well as Robin Le Normand, who continues to recover after a clash of heads with Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni in their 1-1 derby draw last month.
"We have quite a few casualties in the defence," Simeone added.
"The team is competing and trying to find the tools to compete as that's what we have to do. We will try to do it in the best way with the boys who will have to come on."
Inzaghi expecting Arsenal reaction after Newcastle defeat
Inter boss Simone Inzaghi is expecting a difficult test against "one of the best teams in Europe" when Arsenal visit the San Siro in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Arsenal come into the encounter against the reigning Serie A champions on the back of a defeat to Newcastle United in the Premier League last weekend.
Mikel Arteta's side have now lost two of their last three league games, having tasted defeat just once in their 25 games in the top-flight (W21 D3) in 2024.
But Inzaghi, who helped Inter keep pace at the Serie A summit with a controversial 1-0 win over Venezia, is expecting a reaction from the Gunners.
"We are facing one of the best teams in Europe, very recognisable with a great coach," Inzaghi said.
"We all know how the big teams react after a defeat. Look at us after the derby... You find teams out for redress.
"I saw the match between Arsenal and Newcastle. Playing at Newcastle's home is not easy, but it was an open and fascinating match.
"We will find a team that lost two-and-a-half days ago, they will want to play a great game at San Siro."
Inter lost the Derby della Madonnina 2-1 to Milan in September, but have since gone on to win seven of their eight games in all competitions.
Inzaghi's side are just ahead of Arsenal in the Champions League table, with both teams picking up seven points from their opening three games.
The two sides have only met previously in the 2003-04 Champions League – both games were away wins (Arsenal 0-3 Inter, Inter 1-5 Arsenal).
While history favours the visiting side, Inzaghi has said his side will try to dominate possession against Arsenal in order to remain unbeaten in the competition.
"If you see Arsenal among 100 teams, without knowing the name, you recognise them. They played for the last two English titles, point for point with Manchester City," he said.
"We will have to try to keep the ball as much as possible, we know that we are facing a team that put on a lot of offensive pressure.
"We know that it will be a problem for us when they have the ball but the opposite is also true."
Arsenal have also struggled in recent games in the Champions League in Italy, failing to find the back of the net in their last four away games in the country.
Emmanuel Adebayor was the last Gunners player to score there in a 2-0 win over Milan in March 2008, and Inter will be confident of keeping it that way.
Although only five teams have faced more shots in the Champions League this season than Inter (53), they have kept three clean sheets so far.
Neymar suffers fresh injury blow
Neymar sustained a new injury as he was forced off during Al-Hilal's AFC Champions League Elite win over Esteghlal.
Aleksandar Mitrovic plundered a hat-trick on Monday to seal a 3-0 win.
But Al-Hilal's victory was soured by an injury to Neymar, who had to make way just 29 minutes after he came on as a second-half substitute.
The Brazilian, who has just returned from over a year out of action following a serious knee injury, was forced off with what appeared to be a thigh issue.
Indeed, Monday's appearance was only the 32-year-old's second for Al-Hilal since his comeback.
He has featured just seven times for the Saudi Pro League champions in all competitions since his big-money move from Paris Saint-Germain in 2023.
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