Icardi in contention for Roma clash

Inter boss Roberto Mancini has refused to rule captain Mauro Icardi out of Saturday's trip to fellow Champions League hopefuls Roma.

Icardi was expected to be out of action for a couple of weeks after suffering medial knee ligament damage in last weekend's 2-1 defeat of Bologna.

But Mancini said on Friday the striker, who has scored 12 goals in 26 Serie A appearances this season, will be given every opportunity to prove his fitness.

"We'll assess Mauro and make a decision on Saturday morning," said the former Manchester City boss.

"Geoffrey Kondogbia has trained and he's okay. He'll travel to Rome and we'll see whether he can play."

The clash at the Stadio Olimpico is key with both teams seeking at least a place in next season's Champions League. Inter are fifth, two places and five points adrift of Roma.

"The players know it's a big match, I don't know if it's decisive. We'll see what happens tomorrow," Mancini added.

"There are 27 points to play for, an awful lot. I still believe it's open.

"Roma started out this championship with the aim of winning it. I always said that there were three or four teams that were stronger than us, and now they're back to form.

"My regret is that we lost so many games in the second half of the season, especially as some of those losses were undeserved. If we win tomorrow, we'll be well-placed."