epa11678531 Head coach Simone Inzaghi (L) gestures next to his player Denzel Dumfries during the UEFA Champions League football match between BSC Young Boys and FC Inter on October 23, 2024 in Bern, Switzerland. EPA-EFE/ALESSANDRO DELLA VALLE

Simone Inzaghi defends his squad rotation and insists Inter are not relying solely on their star players after super substitutes came on to secure the away win at Young Boys.

The Nerazzurri were starting to feel like this really wasn’t their night, especially after Marko Arnautovic saw his penalty saved by David von Ballmoos straight after the restart.

The Young Boys also had a lot of chances to score and found the back of the net, but three of Inzaghi’s substitutes secured the win in stoppage time.

Lautaro Martinez’s backheel sent Federico Dimarco down the left side, his cross was blocked by Marcus Thuram at the near post. Did Inter need their first choice players to win this game?

“We are happy, but we also know how important it is to have five substitutions. Football has changed in this regard, I got a good reaction from the substitutes against Roma and now more than ever we need everyone,” Inzaghi told Sky Sport Italia.

“There were difficulties, which we expected, but the team showed great spirit. We are very happy about our fifth win in a row and want to keep going. Just remember that on Sunday against Roma Frattesi and De Vrij came on without warming up, they were among the best players.”

Inzaghi is worried about injury problems

Carlos Augusto held himself up with his hand on the back of his left thigh and is believed to be suffering from a hamstring strain that could keep the versatile defender out for several weeks.

The injury list is growing, including Hakan Calhanoglu, Francesco Acerbi and Kristjan Asllani, while Piotr Zielinski was only fit for a substitute role today.

“It’s a problem we have at the moment and it worries me a little. We know this is only the second of seven games. We have limited options for squad rotation between now and November, but we will try to do as much as we can.”

Arnautovic stepped in when Denzel Dumfries was dragged to the ground for a penalty. So was the Austrian veteran intended for these tasks?

“Taremi and Arnautovic were the penalty takers in Calhanoglu’s absence,” explained Inzaghi.

“Any of them could have done it today, he is a very reliable penalty taker, but the goalkeeper made a great save. He shouldn’t worry, he has to keep working and be important for us.”

The fact that Inter improved as the game went on suggests that they may have had the wrong attitude from the start or that their secondary players are not as strong.

“We did better in the second half, the Young Boys started to weaken but despite that we actually took more risks when they hit the woodwork. “It’s a shame that we had these clear chances to score with Taremi and Zielinski,” Inzaghi added.

“The referee was excellent tonight. We all need to calm down a bit and help take the pressure off the referees so they can do their jobs. I had the same problem on Sunday when I saw the footage of the foul that would have meant a red card after 28 minutes. I lost my temper and was warned.”