Inter got their title defence off to an almost-perfect start in their 4-1 victory over Monza in the opening game of the 2026-27 Serie A season, and the performances of some of the Nerazzurri players means that new signings Curtis Jones and Djed Spence may have to bide their time for opportunities under Cristian Chivu, newspapers in Italy have warned.
Inter selection headache: Diouf and Zielinski make their cases
It took just six minutes for Hakan Calhanoglu to get Inter off the mark for the 2026-27 season, dispatching a rocket into the roof of the net from outside the penalty area in trademark fashion.
Gustavo Varela equalised with a very well-taken centre-forward’s goal after half an hour, but three goals within 20 minutes of the start of the second half from Piotr Zielinski, Pio Esposito and Yann Bisseck put the result beyond any doubt.
The Sunday morning headlines across Italy’s major sports newspapers centred around Italy talent Esposito and his wonderfully-taken back-heel goal to send the Nerazzurri 3-1 up on the night, but he was not the only stand-out performer on the night.
Diouf, excelling in his new role at right wing-back, also earned rave reviews after providing two assists on his first Serie A start of the season. La Gazzetta dello Sport also highlighted the performance and the goal scored by Poland international Zielinski.
And, given that Diouf and Zielinski have performed excellently throughout pre-season and now into the start of the Serie A season as well, La Gazzetta dello Sport suggests that there is ‘no rush’ for new signings Jones nor Spence to be thrown straight into the side after their recent transfers from the Premier League.
Both are still expected to be starters for Inter at full strength later down the line, but Diouf has made an excellent case for himself at right wing-back and Chivu’s midfield department does not only include Jones and Zielinski, but also the likes of Calhanoglu, Nicolo Barella, Petar Sucic, Alksandar Stankovic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan as well. A positive selection headache.
