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Jorginho ready for Inter Milan, who will likely be without Kovacic

Napoli are finally likely to get back their injured midfielder, while one of Inter's most talented players is questionable after an injury on international duty.

Giuseppe Bellini

Napoli have been missing one of their key midfielders with a mysterious muscular issue, with Jorginho sitting out five of the last six matches because of it. Napoli's midfield hasn't been the same without him, with the loss of his calm possession and creativity being keenly felt in those deeper areas he inhabits.

Even in the one game he played, as a late sub against Sassuolo, it was clear that something wasn't quite right with him, as he wasn't moving as smoothly and assuredly as he normally does. Then he missed the next two matches with the only word coming from the club that he was still having the same "muscular issue" that sidelined him in the first place.

Now, according to his agent, Jorginho is fit and ready to rock again. If he's ready to start, he'll be a big help for this match in particular, as Walter Mazzarri's tactical setup has always been vulnerable to a deeper playmaker like him.

For Inter, the injury news isn't so rosy; Mateo Kovacic is in doubt after an injury while he was away with Croatia, and Inter's coaching staff won't know for sure if he'll be available until tomorrow or Saturday.

If Kovacic is out, it'll be a big blow to Inter, as he's been an invaluable part of their squad this season. He's scored five goals and gotten two assists in eight matches across all competitions this season, including a hat trick during Inter's Europa League qualification run. Despite being just 20 years old, his sheer skill and quality have overridden Mazzarri's general distrust of young players, and he's been ever-present in the league, given an important playmaking role in the side.

Fredy Guarin stands as the most likely man to replace Kovacic in the lineup, though he hasn't performed especially well when called upon this season. He hasn't been bad, per se, but for the most part he's just kind of... been there. If Napoli can get a healthy Jorginho firing away and get to miss Kovacic, it could go a long ways towards helping Napoli come out victorious on Sunday.