Samir Handanović

Milan is coping better without its veteran talisman than Inter Milan. And that’s bad news for defending champion Inter heading into the final four matches of the Italian league season. Milan has had to play large swathes of the season without Zlatan Ibrahimović but dealt with his absence well, with the 40-year-old forward a constant presence on the sidelines, cheering and urging his younger teammates on.

Inter played one match without its captain Samir Handanović and may well have seen its chances of retaining the title evaporate. The 37-year-old goalkeeper faces a race to be fit for Sunday’s match at Udinese, which has become a must-win game. Handanović, who had played all 33 of Inter’s previous league games this season, missed Wednesday’s rescheduled match against Bologna with a back problem and was replaced by Ionuț Radu.

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