Lautaro Martinez spent Inter Milan’s recent 2-0 victory over Como watching from the stands, but the club captain has already turned his focus toward a November 22 return against Atalanta.

The Argentine forward missed five Serie A matches and two Champions League fixtures due to a left thigh flexor injury sustained during a European fixture against Club Brugge, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport. Despite his absence, Inter won six of seven matches across all competitions under coach Cristian Chivu, leaving the squad four points ahead of last season’s pace after 11 matches.

While Chivu granted the squad two days of rest following the Como fixture on Monday and Tuesday, Martinez bypassed the break to continue his recovery program at Appiano Gentile alongside teammate Luis Henrique, La Gazzetta dello Sport reported. Tuttosport said that Martinez is expected to continue individual training until Friday before gradually rejoining the group next week, with the initial plan pointing toward a substitute appearance in Bergamo.

Inter faces a demanding schedule of nine matches in exactly one month leading up to Christmas, comprising five Serie A fixtures, two Champions League ties, a Coppa Italia match, and the Supercoppa Italiana against Lazio. To manage that stretch, Chivu is dealing with several fitness concerns across the squad.

Forward Ange-Yoan Bonny sustained a muscle strain in his left thigh during the closing moments against Como and will be sidelined for approximately one month, ruling him out until late December, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport and Tuttosport.

Meanwhile, fellow forward Marcus Thuram returned early from international duty with France due to fatigue. Tuttosport reported that the French federation and Inter agreed to send Thuram back to Milan as a precaution, and he has already begun individual therapy at Appiano Gentile with hopes of featuring against Atalanta.

In midfield, Aleksandar Stankovic suffered an adductor strain in his right thigh during his first training session with the Serbia national team, while defender Ryan Spence experienced minor fatigue on international duty with England, as detailed by Tuttosport.

Inter returns to competitive action on November 22, travelling to face Atalanta in Serie A. Preparation continues at Appiano Gentile as Martinez works to complete his rehabilitation ahead of the fixture.