According to fcinews, Chivu stated that Calhanoglu played in the World Cup while carrying an injury and missed part of his preparation, so he needs to be managed carefully.

Chivu said at the pre-match press conference: "He participated in the World Cup, and he was injured when he went. His last game was the Coppa Italia semi-final, where he scored twice. He played two games in the World Cup, then took a month off. We all know what happened to the Turkish team afterward, and we also know the criticism he and the national team received. Our top priority is to bring all players who missed part of their preparation back to the appropriate condition."

Calhanoglu started in 3 of 4 games, playing a maximum of 65 minutes. Is the team deliberately protecting him, or has his condition not yet fully recovered? This was one of the questions Chivu faced at the pre-match press conference ahead of the match against Udinese.

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