Petar Sucic ready to overtake as Inter Milan midfield surprise

The Croatian impressed on debut against Torino and could keep his place against Udinese, with Chivu seriously considering him for the XI

Petar Sucic is already on the fast track. The new Inter Milan signing stole the show on his Serie A debut against Torino, and according to La Gazzetta dello Sport via Fcinter1908, Cristian Chivu is ready to confirm him in the starting lineup against Udinese.

“Petar Sucic is a 21-year-old who doesn’t use social media: if fans want to know how he is doing, they need to wait for Inter Milan’s matches and watch him in midfield. They found him there, at the heart of the team, in the league opener against Torino, and 90 minutes were enough to show that this will happen very often — most likely starting again this Sunday, when Inter Milan face Udinese.

The Croatian talent, fresh from Zagreb, not only conquered San Siro at the first attempt, but also gained ground in Inter Milan’s crowded midfield. 

While Calhanoglu is knocking on Chivu’s door to reclaim his regista role, Frattesi is increasing his training pace to get fit, and newcomer Diouf is speeding through his integration, Sucic seems ready to overtake Mkhitaryan in the pecking order.

Of course, Calhanoglu remains the natural playmaker in the 3-5-2 system, so he will return, but it may not be the young Petar who steps aside. 

Sucic’s versatility gives Inter Milan new options in midfield

His versatility has been the key since the first training sessions in the United States. The beauty of Sucic’s game is that his ideas and creativity remain sharp regardless of position: he can play on the right side of midfield, as he did against Torino (where he assisted Thuram and even alternated with Barella as regista), or move left, as he did for Dinamo Zagreb, the Croatian national team, and in some summer appearances with Inter Milan.

A pre-season friendly in Monaco may be telling: Chivu had lined up Barella and Sucic either side of Calhanoglu, until the Turk’s red card ruined the plan. 

What is certain is that an Inter Milan side with Sucic starting gains in dynamism: he was the midfielder who covered the most ground on debut — about 12 kilometers — and Chivu himself admitted he was impressed: “Beyond his intensity and maturity, he showed real aggressiveness in duels, something I hadn’t seen from him before.”

Another starting chance is coming, and it will show whether there’s even more to discover from him.”