According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Sucic started against Napoli but played poorly. In Madrid, he came off the bench with even worse results. The toll of the World Cup has left its mark.

Chivu has tried two approaches: starting Petar Sucic against Napoli and bringing the Croatian midfielder off the bench against Real Madrid. In both cases, the midfielder underperformed. Of course, he has legitimate reasons: his physical condition is not yet optimal, the exhaustion from an intense World Cup still weighs on him—similar to Akanji's situation—and competition in midfield is fiercer than ever.

Nevertheless, Sucic's importance to Inter Milan should be at least as significant as last season; he remains a valuable utility piece in midfield. At this position, earning consistent playing time is difficult for anyone. However, the former Dinamo Zagreb player's performances in his last two matches have been disappointing. The reason may well be the intense competition for spots.

Seven competing for three places

Inter Milan's formation remains systematically consistent: 3-5-2, with two wing-backs and three central midfield positions contested by seven players (or eight, if Diouf is also used in his natural midfield role). One spot is essentially locked down: Calhanoglu.

He will only miss matches due to minor injury or when rotation is needed due to a crowded fixture list. Another spot is largely occupied by Barella, while Zielinski and Jones are the primary contenders for the third starting place. Behind them are Stanković—who still needs more time to fully enter the rotation—Mkhitaryan, who can also play multiple positions, and Sucic.

As Inter Milan's coaching staff has often emphasized, having an abundance of quality players is not a problem. Especially in a long, demanding season like this one, with Inter competing in all competitions, depth is essential. However, every player must capitalize on every opportunity to improve their standing and position in the hierarchy. So far, Sucic has not done that, despite receiving sufficient playing time in recent matches. But after consecutive difficult tests against Real Madrid and Napoli, the road ahead looks considerably easier.

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