Inter Milan boss Antonio Conte has urged his players to make sure they have “no regrets” after Wednesday’s crucial Champions League tie against Borussia Dortmund.
Conte’s side have yet to register their first win in Group F following a 1-1 home draw against Slavia Prague and defeat in Barcelona.
Inter lost 2-1 at the Nou Camp having taken an early lead and cannot afford to lose further ground as they already trail Dortmund and Barca by three points.
“We can’t say that this match is a final,” Conte told a press conference. “That would be an exaggeration, finals are played at the very end.
“We’ll be involved in an important match when we face Borussia Dortmund. I want one thing, for us to give everything we’ve got so we leave the pitch without any regrets.
“We need to play the best we possibly can. But I repeat, we need to play the best we can so as to not have any regrets.”
Conte will be without key midfielder Stefano Sensi (thigh strain), full-back Danilo D’Ambrosio (broken toe), and on-loan Manchester United forward Alexis Sanchez (dislocated ankle).
Inter’s six-game winning start in Serie A was recently halted by Juventus and they conceded two late goals in Sunday’s 4-3 win at Sassuolo.
Former Chelsea boss Conte warned his players that any sloppiness will be punished by Dortmund.
“They’re a strong team and very good on the break,” he added. “They have quick players, who are very strong on an open pitch.
“For this reason, we must not repeat the mistakes we made against Sassuolo, when we lost the ball in our build-up play and went on to concede.”
Dortmund teenager Jadon Sancho is back in contention after missing Saturday’s 1-0 win against Borussia Monchengladbach for disciplinary reasons.
The 19-year-old forward was dropped after returning late from international duty with England.
Dortmund coach Lucien Favre will make a late decision on goalkeeper Roman Burki (knee), while Marco Reus (illness), Marcel Schmelzer (hip) and Paco Alcacer (muscle strain) have not made the trip.
Midfielder Julian Weigl said Dortmund must maintain their momentum following Saturday’s win and make sure they convert any chances in Milan.
“We want to continue our success and play our game with full intensity and effort,” he told a press conference.
“Inter are extremely dangerous on the attack, but also defend very well. We have to be efficient in front of goal if we want to win.”
