Juventus registered a first win in five Serie A games as Daniele Rugani’s stoppage-time finish secured a 3-2 victory over strugglers Frosinone at the Allianz Stadium.

In an eventful first half, Juve took an early lead through Dusan Vlahovic before the visitors made a stunning reply, going in front themselves via Walid Cheddira’s header and a Marco Brescianini strike.

Vlahovic then brought things back level in the 32nd minute to take him to nine Serie A goals in seven appearances since the turn of the year, and 15 for the season.

It subsequently looked set to be another frustrating outing for Massimiliano Allegri’s men as they failed to add to that through the second half until Rugani popped up with a winner in the fifth minute of time added on at the end.

The result kept the pressure on leaders Inter Milan.

Juve, eager to get back to winning ways, were swiftly in front when Weston McKennie laid the ball to Vlahovic from the right in the third minute and the Serbian’s deflected shot found the bottom corner.

But Frosinone, who had lost each of their last three games, hit back 11 minutes later with Cheddira heading in from Nadir Zortea’s cross.

And after Vlahovic and Bremer missed with efforts on the away side’s goal, Eusebio Di Francesco’s side grabbed a second in the 27th minute as Brescianini received the ball from Abdou Harroui, took it into the area and fired past Wojciech Szczesny.

That shock lead lasted five minutes before Juve – having been forced into a substitution, withdrawing Adrien Rabiot for Charly Alacaraz – restored parity via another McKennie-Vlahovic combination, the latter collecting the former’s pass in the box and bending a shot beyond Michele Cerofolini.

Frosinone threatened again moments later with Brescianini fizzing a shot just over Szczesny’s bar.

Juve pressure in the opening stages of the second half saw Vlahovic head wide from close range, a Rugani strike diverted over off Alcaraz and Federico Chiesa’s shot deflect wide.

Vlahovic shot inches wide in the 74th minute, although the flag went up for offside, and when he fired over from a good position in the 90th minute, it seemed as if victory would elude the team once again.

However, Vlahovic then turned provider as Juve claimed all three points late on, with his header from a corner sending the ball to the far post, where Rugani put the ball through Cerofolini’s legs from a tight angle.

Lecce coach Roberto D’Aversa will have his team ready to tackle their own Mission Impossible when they host Serie A leaders Inter Milan on Sunday.

The Nerazzurri have won all of their games so far in 2024 and head south with a nine-point advantage over second-placed Juventus, who have played a game more.

Lecce may have won just twice in 20 league matches as they battle to stay clear of the relegation scrap, but D’Aversa insisted they would aim to meet Inter head on at the Stadio Via del Mare.

“Inter are coming off nine consecutive victories, their statistics in 2024 are impressive, so it might seem impossible for us to get a result – but I believe nothing is impossible in football,” D’Aversa said at a press conference.

“There are a few positive aspects, for example that we are on home turf. We need to cause problems for a team who played in the Champions League midweek (against Atletico Madrid).

“I don’t believe the idea we have nothing to lose, as there is always something to lose. We just have to give our best and see how it goes.”

Lecce will be without defenders Patrick Dorgu and Marin Pongracic through suspension, while Federico Brancolini, Jeppe Corfitzen and Kastriot Dermaku are all still injured.

D’Aversa said: “Federico Baschirotto is fit and should start tomorrow (in defence), I have two possibilities to choose from on who will be next to him.

“(Santiago) Pierotti is improving and needs time to settle, while (forward) Lameck Banda has recovered and we’ll see if he can start tomorrow.”

Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer is set to miss Sunday’s game after being laid low by a flu virus, so Emil Audero is in line to make his Serie A debut, having playing only twice in the Champions League and Coppa Italia.

French forward Marcus Thuram is injured, along with Francesco Acerbi and Juan Cuadrado.

Inter coach Simone Inzaghi could look to rotate the team, with a rescheduled league game at home to Atalanta – who are chasing a top-four place – coming up on Wednesday.

Defender Alessandro Bastoni could be rested, as one more yellow card would see him serve a suspension.

Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri has emphasised the need for calm and focus as the Old Lady look to end their winless run this weekend.

Having been held 1-1 by Empoli while down to 10 men and then beaten 1-0 by Serie A leaders Inter Milan and Udinese, Juve went a fourth successive game without victory last Saturday with a 2-2 draw at Hellas Verona.

Allegri’s side are second in the table, nine points adrift of Inter having played a game more, ahead of Sunday’s game at home to Frosinone.

Allegri told a press conference: “We have worked well, as always, and tomorrow we have only one goal – to return to winning ways.

“Periods like these in football happen, I’ve been through them before and the boys know it too. We have to stay calm and focused and think about the months ahead, with two big goals to achieve – qualification for the Champions League and trying to win the Coppa Italia.

“There are some matches, like last Saturday’s in Verona, where we struggle. It is precisely in these kinds of matches that we have to maintain greater compactness and great concentration.

“If I think back to our last performances, with Inter and Udinese I saw good things, with Verona less so. However, I am convinced that this period will do us good.”

Since Allegri returned to Juventus in 2021 for a second spell in charge, he has overseen the team finishing fourth and then seventh.

He previously had five years in the job from 2014 to 2019, which saw Juve crowned league champions in all five campaigns, part of a sequence of nine consecutive titles for the club.

Allegri added: “Winning at Juve is something that is always demanded and criticism is the order of the day – if you win 3-2 you have conceded too many goals, if you win 1-0 you have scored too few.

“But if I analyse our history, I see that Juve has gone through only two cycles of great and consecutive victories, winning five Scudetti in the 1930s and nine in the last period.

“This means that winning is not something normal and taken for granted. We have the goal of getting back to winning ways and for this the club has started a path and a project that is going forward, also aiming to grow our own players.

“For this, qualifying for the Champions League is fundamental, as it is a competition that we have not missed since 2011, which is also something that cannot be taken for granted.”

Frosinone, Serie B champions last term, are three points above the relegation zone with 23 from 25 games.

Boss Eusebio Di Francesco said at his pre-match press conference: “We deserved the points we got, we probably also demonstrated something more.

“And we have to go and get those points back. Starting from the next one and not being a sacrificial victim of a team like Juventus because we go to play with them. Knowing that sooner or later something has to come back to us.”

Stefano Pioli believes the outcome of AC Milan’s home clash with Serie A rivals Atalanta could determine the trajectory of the rest of their season with the title not yet out of their reach and a chasing pack turning up the European heat.

The Rossoneri head into Sunday’s match 11 points behind city foes Inter Milan in the Scudetto race while fourth-placed Bologna and Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta are both in excellent form and pushing hard for Champions League football.

Defeat at San Siro and Milan could lose the initiative in that battle, especially considering the fact Atalanta – in fifth – have a game in hand and are riding a five-game winning streak.

Pioli said at Saturday morning’s press conference: “Tomorrow’s match is very important in terms of the league standings.

“Various teams below us continue to pick up points, and we want to get back to winning ways.

“It’ll be difficult, as we’ll be up against a side who are doing well, but we are also doing well. They’ve beaten us twice this season, so we’re preparing for the game with the aim of doing better.”

Milan celebrated reaching the Europa League last 16 this week with an aggregate victory over play-off opponents Rennes, and next up will be two legs against Slavia Prague in March.

This offers the Rossoneri further incentive to up their game and fight for honours on multiple fronts across the run-in.

“We progressed through our tie in the Europa League, and we’re in the competition to give it a go and fight to win it,” said Pioli. “Our destiny depends on ourselves, not on our opponents and the draw.

“In Europe, easy opponents don’t exist; Slavia Prague won their group ahead of Roma and are fighting to win their league domestically.”

Striker Luka Jovic is suspended but the boss hopes to have Pierre Kalulu back in the squad, with the French defender completing a full week of training following an injury lay-off.

England international Fikayo Tomori is “also doing better but slightly behind in the recovery process” and Pioli is optimistic that their returns will give Milan more bite in the backline as both players are “aggressive and fast and contribute well to our build-up play”.

Defender Isak Hien and Jose Luis Palomino are sidelined for Atalanta, who triumphed 3-2 in a wild December meeting with Milan before going to San Siro and knocking them out of the Coppa Italia last month.

AC Milan have expressed support for winger Rafael Leao after a supporter told him to leave the club in a racist social media post.

The Portugal international was targeted following his side’s 4-2 Serie A loss at Monza on Sunday.

An Instagram message allegedly directed at Leao read: “I can’t see you anymore, I can’t stand you on the pitch anymore, I’m becoming racist, you really p*** me off, leave as soon as possible, you and whoever follows you.”

Leao came on as a half-time substitute during the weekend defeat, which ended Milan’s nine-match unbeaten run in the league.

He shared the abuse, along with the words: “Unfortunately the world continues to have this type of people with small minds.”

The 24-year-old player later received support from his club.

A post on AC Milan’s X account read: “@RafaeLeao7 we stand with you. In our fanbase and in football, there’s no room for racism.”

Leao, who has won 23 caps for his country, joined Milan from French side Lille in 2019.

He has scored seven goals in 30 appearances for the Italian club this season.

Napoli have dismissed Walter Mazzarri and made former coach Francesco Calzona their third boss of the season.

Calzona is currently Slovakia manager and will combine the role alongside taking charge of the current Serie A champions until the end of the season.

Mazzarri returned to Naples in November after Rudi Garcia was sacked after five months, but ex-Watford chief Mazzarri has now left his post after eight defeats in 17 matches.

“I thank Walter Mazzarri, a friend of the De Laurentiis family and of Napoli, for supporting the team in a complex moment,” Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

“(He) will remain in the hearts of Neapolitans and our family.

“Welcome back to Francesco Calzona, who has already worked with us with both (Maurizio) Sarri and (Luciano) Spalletti.”

Calzona spent three years at Napoli working under Sarri before a solitary campaign as part of Spalletti’s staff for the 2021-22 season.

The 55-year-old left the Serie A outfit that summer and took over as manager of Slovakia, leading them to Euro 2024 qualification in November, which resulted in him signing new terms with the nation last week.

No details of Calzona’s contract were revealed by Napoli, but the Slovak Football Association confirmed it was a short-term deal and he will lead the Naples club for the first time against Barcelona on Wednesday.

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“It was only on Sunday, February 18 that an official request came from SSC Napoli that Francesco Calzona could perform the function of head coach of the Slovak national football team at the same time as the head coach of the club,” a statement from the Slovak Football Association read.

“The Slovak Football Association is aware that this is a non-standard decision that may cause concern among the public.

“However, it also understands the exceptional relationship of F. Calzona to the club where he worked for a long time and wants to help him in the current difficult situation.

“Coach F. Calzona has repeatedly declared that the main priority of his activity remains the Slovak national football team and its preparation for the final tournament EURO 2024.”

AC Milan missed the chance to go second in Serie A as they slumped to a 4-2 defeat at neighbours Monza, finishing with 10 men after Luka Jovic was sent off.

Stefano Pioli’s side had made the short trip north full of confidence, having lost just once in all competitions since early December.

Milan produced a bright start, with Jovic sending a header from a free-kick straight at the Monza goalkeeper before Theo Hernandez saw his shot deflected wide.

At the other end, Monza forward Milan Djuric flicked a header onto the frame of the goal.

There was a lengthy stoppage from the 36th minute when Monza goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio came to punch out a corner and clashed heads with team-mate Andrea Carboni.

Both players needed treatment for cuts and were bandaged up, before it was decided Di Gregorio could not continue and Alessandro Sorrentino came on in goal.

When the action resumed, Monza were awarded a penalty after a poorly-timed challenge from Milan defender Malick Thiaw on Dany Mota. Matteo Pessina rolled the spot-kick into the bottom-right corner.

Milan immediately went on the offensive, with Ruben Loftus-Cheek nodding down a cross into the path of Jovic, whose volley was charged down by Pablo Mari before Hernandez fired the rebound over.

Monza, though, doubled their lead in first-half stoppage time.

Andrea Colpani snatched the ball off Ismael Bennacer and darted away down the right before playing in Mota on the overlap, with the midfielder cutting back inside to clip a deflected finish into the far corner.

Milan’s night got even worse just six minutes into the second half when Jovic was sent off for lashing out at Armando Izzo as the pair jostled near the centre circle. Having initially been cautioned, the striker was shown a red card by the referee following a VAR review.

Rossoneri boss Pioli made an attacking change as Olivier Giroud replaced Bennacer in the 55th minute.

The French striker pulled a goal back after 64 minutes when he volleyed in Christian Pulisic’s flicked header in the six-yard box.

Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan made a smart save to push over an angled shot from Samuele Birindelli before at the other end, Loftus-Cheek’s towering header dropped straight at Sorrentino.

Pulisic, who had been sent on at the start of the second half, fired Milan level with two minutes left after cutting inside onto his left foot and rifling an angled drive into the far corner.

Monza, though, snatched the lead once again when Warren Bondo whipped a fine 18-yard strike into the top-right corner – the goal allowed to stand following a VAR check for possible offside in the build-up.

In stoppage time, on-loan forward Lorenzo Colombo added a fourth following a breakaway, drilling a low shot into the bottom corner against his parent club.

Juventus continued to lose ground in their pursuit of Serie A leaders Inter Milan after a 2-2 draw with struggling Verona registered a fourth match without a win.

They had to come from behind twice to take a point that leaves them nine points adrift of their rivals and they should have done better with several late chances.

Verona made the brighter start and they were rewarded with a stunning strike by Michael Folorunsho in the 12th minute.

Tomas Suslov’s corner was headed clear by Adrien Rabiot but the ball only reached Folorunsho just outside the area and the Italian midfielder let rip with a screaming volley off his left foot.

The shot flew into the top left corner, giving Wojciech Szczesny no chance of making a save.

Juventus clawed their way level from the penalty spot with Dusan Vlahovic converting after VAR showed Jackson Tchatchoua had handled the ball, referee Marco Di Bello initially believing the ball had deflected off his knee.

Despite the equaliser, Verona were still in control as they went about their work with greater intent.

Their second goal arrived eight minutes after the interval, Tijjani Noslin showing composure and athleticism to steer the ball into the bottom right corner of the net.

But Verona’s defence then imploded as they allowed Juventus to work the ball to an unmarked Rabiot, who had the time and space to pick his shot and pull the trigger.

Darko Lazovic forced a sharp save by Szczęsny before drama unfolded in the other goal when Rabiot’s cross with the outside of his foot was met by Vlahovic but the Serbian’s header was off-target.

It was a poor miss by Vlahovic and, as the match entered the final 10 minutes, substitute Federico Chiesa blazed a reasonable chance over the crossbar.

Juventus had one more opportunity to take all three points in injury-time but a well worked move ended with Chiesa prodding the ball wide.

It means Inter have a firm grip on the title race with a game in hand on Juve, while AC Milan can take second place from Massimiliano Allegri’s men with a victory at Monza on Sunday.

Cyril Ngonge scored a last-gasp equaliser as Napoli’s meek defence of their Serie A title continued with a home draw against Genoa.

A first league crown in 23 years last season already seems a distant memory but Walter Mazzarri will take some solace in seeing his side rescue a 1-1 draw late on after Morten Frendrup had put the visitors ahead.

The result means Napoli sit ninth in Serie A – six points off the top four – as, for the second time this season, they came from behind to draw with Genoa.

With talismanic striker Victor Osimhen watching from the stands after returning from the Africa Cup of Nations, Napoli started well.

Matteo Politano and Giovanni Simeone were lively, the latter heading a decent chance wide at the midway point of the first half.

Alex Meret made a good save to keep out a Mateo Retegui header with the visitors starting to come into the game.

The sides went in level at the interval but Genoa would break the deadlock soon after the restart.

A ball into Retegui on the penalty spot was cleared to the edge of the Napoli box, where Danish midfielder Frendrup finished with aplomb.

Ngonge had a sight of goal as Napoli chased a leveller, while a Frank Anguissa header came close to extending the Genoa advantage.

With time running out for Mazzarri’s side, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia almost equalised with three minutes to go but Josep Martinez kept out his effort.

There was nothing the Spain goalkeeper could do, though, soon after as Napoli finally worked a way through.

A deep cross was headed down by captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Ngonge was on hand to fire home his first Napoli goal since joining from Hellas Verona in January – salvaging a point for the hosts.

AC Milan owner Gerry Cardinale has reiterated his commitment to the club and stressed he wants to return the Italian giants to the top of the European game.

The Rossoneri have endured an inconsistent season, featuring a disappointing group-stage exit from the Champions League while they trail fierce rivals Inter by 11 points in Serie A.

That has built pressure on Cardinale, chief executive of Milan owners RedBird Capital, following the controversial dismissal of directors Frederic Massara and Paolo Maldini last summer.

Amid continuing speculation over the future of head coach Stefano Pioli, who delivered the title to Milan in 2022, and talk of investment from Saudi Arabia, Cardinale has outlined his long-term vision for the seven-time European champions.

“I’m here to stay for a long time, I have a job to do. I’m committed to bringing Milan back to the top of Serie A and Europe and I won’t stop before I’ve achieved these results,” Cardinale said in an interview with Corriere della Sera.

“And when we have reached them, I will want to reach them again.

“We have changed a lot and it takes time to create a cohesive team. However, we are growing, close to second place, and credit for this must be given to the players, staff and coach. I will be satisfied when we win the Champions League.

“Not being happy at a certain stage doesn’t necessarily translate into firing the coach. I believe that Pioli is doing a good job in a difficult situation, with a very renewed team, I don’t give in to the temptation to fire someone just to change something.

“I’ll say, the season is still long, anything can happen, we’ll see. We need to improve in many things, with injuries for example. Everyone, starting with me, needs to do a better job. But I’m not quitting, I’ll be here for a long time. Nobody wants to win more than me.”

Milan’s form has been impressive either side of Christmas and Pioli’s team have lost just once in all competitions since December 9.

Thursday’s 3-0 Europa League first-leg victory at Rennes was a third straight win and the Rossoneri make the short trip to Monza on Sunday full of confidence.

Monza have won just one of their last five matches and sit 12th in Serie A.

“Milan have many qualities, they defend well and attack well. Pioli is doing an excellent job both in the league and in the Europa League,” Monza manager Raffaele Palladino said at his pre-match press conference.

“A team that knows what to do and when to do it. Difficult to face, but they are not unbeatable, we will try to put them in difficulty by exploiting a few weaknesses they have.”

Inter Milan stretched their lead to 10 points at the top of Serie A with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Salernitana at San Siro.

Inter were looking for a sixth consecutive victory and they were well on their way when Marcus Thuram and Lautaro Martinez scored within two minutes of each other before Denzel Dumfries put the hosts out of sight at the break.

A dominant Inter side limited their opponents to just one shot and Marko Arnautovic saw a strike ruled out but he was not to be denied as he added a fourth for Inter with the last kick of the game to continue their 100 per cent start to 2024.

Inter Milan’s attacking intention was clear from the outset and they should have opened the scoring after three minutes when Alessandro Bastoni’s header was parried by Guillermo Ochoa into the path of Thuram but he could only poke onto the post with the goal at his mercy.

Another early chance went begging as Nicolo Barella latched onto a loose ball and fired at goal with Ochoa magnificently tipping over the bar from point-blank range.

It was wave after wave of Inter attack throughout the first 10 minutes and Ochoa once again had to stop Thuram from stabbing in from inside the six-yard box.

Inter finally made their deserved breakthrough in the 17th minute when Carlos Augusto found Thuram inside the box and this time he made no mistake, blasting into the top corner for his 10th league goal of the season.

Inter doubled their lead with a second goal in quick succession and Augusto was yet again the creator when his long throw forward found Martinez who curled in from the edge of the box.

Inter put the game to bed five minutes before the break when Barella’s deflected cross needed to be dealt with by Ochoa but he could only push into the path of Dumfries who bundled home with ease.

Inter started the second period in the same fashion as the first and almost had a fourth right away but Hakan Calhanoglu’s rifled volley was palmed behind by Ochoa.

Salernitana had yet to register a single shot during the first 55 minutes but had an opportunity from a free-kick from 25 yards that Antonio Candreva blasted over the bar.

Ochoa was keeping the score respectable and he rose well to keep out Stefan De Vrij’s header from going in.

Inter thought they had a fourth in the 78th minute when former Stoke and West Ham forward Arnautovic got on the end of a long ball and finished past Ochoa only for the offside flag to cut short celebrations.

However, they did add the cherry to the cake when Arnautovic got on the end of Dumfries’ cross and poked home from inside the area.

Massimiliano Allegri challenged his Juventus side to pay “attention to detail” when they travel to Verona for Saturday’s Serie A clash.

Juve sit seven points behind league leaders Inter Milan, who have a game in hand, and are in search of their first win in four attempts following losses to Udinese and the table-toppers, which came after a 1-1 draw with Empoli that saw Arkadiusz Milik sent off in the 18th minute.

Verona sit third-from-bottom with four wins in 24 matches but, with just six points separating 19th-placed Cagliari from Lecce in 13th, will be desperate to gain any advantage on fellow relegation-threatened clubs.

Allegri told a press conference: “We’ve earned a point in two games at home and that’s not good, tomorrow will be a complicated away match, Verona are in a difficult situation but are doing well. We need to work on our attitude not only in terms of performance, but above all in terms of attention to detail.

“Our performances have not been worse, even on a numerical level, but we must analyse everything, beyond the result. Against Udinese, we made a mistake on an inactive ball and we were punished, this is football. Details are important.

“We have to learn what didn’t go well over the last few games. The performances were good and we have to start from there. The management will then work to strengthen the team for next year, because we hope to play many more matches.”

Allegri revealed he will have “everyone available” for the trip to Verona and, while forward Federico Chiesa has been linked to a summer transfer to the Premier League, emphasised that the 26-year-old will be “very important to us for the rest of the season.”

Juventus have not won a trophy since lifting the Coppa Italia in 2021, but the boss was confident his  side are on the right trajectory, remaining one point clear of third-placed AC Milan and with an 11-point advantage over Atalanta in the fourth Champions League place.

They also remain alive in the Coppa Italia and will host Lazio in the first leg of their semi-final on April 2.

Allegri added: “It’s true that we haven’t won a trophy for some time, but we have an Italian Cup that we can try to win and we have a path that we have started. Furthermore, never having been out of the Champions League for 11 years in a row is important when rebuilding.

“The most important thing for us now is to get a result tomorrow and then we have to achieve our main objective, which is Champions League qualification. We have three beautiful months ahead to look forward to, with passion and the desire to achieve results.”

Lautaro Giannetti dealt Juventus’ Serie A title hopes a potentially fatal blow as he grabbed the only goal of the game to earn a stunning 1-0 win for struggling Udinese.

The visitors made the most of a sluggish performance from Massimiliano Allegri’s men, who still trail leaders Inter Milan by seven points having played a game more.

Arkadiusz Milik was guilty of wasting most of the home side’s good chances as Udinese held firm for only their second win in 13 Serie A games which moves them three points clear of the relegation zone.

Looking to bounce back from last week’s loss to Inter, Juventus looked unlikely to be duly troubled in a strong start which saw Andrea Cambiaso and Federico Chiesa come close.

Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye was busy early on, saving well from Milik’s close-range header then denying Federico Gatti who should have done better from the edge of the box.

The visitors grabbed the lead against the run of play in the 25th minute when Giannetti bundled home the loose ball after a free-kick was flicked on by Thomas Kristensen deep into the home box.

Milik failed to reach a cross-shot from Cambiaso that caused panic in the Udinese box and it was clear the home side were once again missing striker Dusan Vlahovic, who was ruled out with a groin strain.

Milik headed straight at Okoye and it could have got worse for Juventus on the stroke of half-time when Sandi Lovric fired a speculative effort over from just outside the box.

Allegri’s men hardly improved after the break as they huffed forward for little reward, although they did briefly think they had levelled on the hour mark.

A corner was headed back for Milik to nod home but celebrations were cut short as the referee ruled the ball had drifted out of play in the course of the initial set-piece.

Chiesa rammed a 72nd-minute effort over the bar while Kenan Yildiz was inches from connecting with Cambiaso’s left-wing cross in front of goal as Udinese managed to hold on for a famous win.

Inter Milan defender Francesco Acerbi continues to be assessed after limping out of Saturday’s 4-2 Serie A victory at Roma.

The 36-year-old Italy international has undergone tests which have identified a “slight muscle strain” and his condition will be monitored ahead of Friday’s league clash with lowly Salernitana and the Champions League showdown with Atletico Madrid which follows next Tuesday.

A statement on the club’s official website said: “Francesco Acerbi underwent medical tests this morning (Monday) at the Istituto Clinico Humanitas in Rozzano.

“The Nerazzurri defender has a slight muscle strain in his right leg. His condition will be assessed over the coming days.”

Acerbi, who scored the opening goal at the Stadio Olimpico at the weekend, has made 28 appearances to date for Inter this season.

Theo Hernandez’s first-half strike gave AC Milan a sixth win from seven Serie A matches with a 1-0 victory over Napoli.

The reigning champions made a bright start but Hernandez’s goal changed the complexion of the match for a Napoli side low on confidence.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Matteo Politano hit the woodwork for the visitors after the break but they could not find an equaliser to prevent a seventh league defeat of the season.

Napoli created the first big chance of the game when Kvaratskhelia skinned Matteo Gabbia and sent a drilled delivery into the area but Giovanni Simeone could not guide his effort beyond goalkeeper Mike Maignan.

Walter Mazzarri’s side continued to make most of the running in the opening stages but AC Milan took the lead against the run of play through a devastating counter-attack as Rafael Leao slipped Hernandez through on goal and he whipped the ball past Pierluigi Gollini at the near post.

Milan had an opportunity to make it two moments later when Leao found himself with space outside the box but his bending effort was diverted away from the top corner by Gollini.

Napoli’s frustrations were compounded when Piotr Zielinski picked himself up after being fouled on the left of the area but wastefully sent a free-kick out for a goal-kick.

The visitors had the first chance of the second half when Politano tried his luck from 20 yards but his effort did not quite get the curl needed to nestle in the bottom corner.

Hernandez could have doubled his tally in style when a corner fell to the defender inside the area and his clever back-heeled volley flew into Gollini’s gloves.

Napoli responded with another chance, this time Kvaratskhelia cut in from the left but hit a rather tame strike into Maignan’s grasp.

The visitors gifted possession to Yunus Musah and offered Milan a chance to give themselves some breathing space but Leao struck wide of the far post.

Napoli began to run out of ideas and were limited to long-range efforts, the next being Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa’s shot from 25 yards which flew comfortably wide of the target.

The visitors’ flurry of second-half chances did not stop and they came within inches of levelling when Jesper Lindstrom’s cross was deflected onto a post by Jan-Carlo Simic as Milan held on.