Inter's Adriano could have serious thigh injury

Inter Milan has been dealt a potentially severe blow after it was revealed that Adriano may have suffered a serious thigh injury.

The Emperor has been in outstanding form in preseason, and on Saturday evening scored the winner during Inter's 1-0 win over Ajax in the Amsterdam Tournament.

The Brazilian had seemed a certainty to start the new campaign as a first-choice striker for Inter until he suffered a thigh problem at the end of training Wednesday morning, and there are fears he could be out of action for an extended period.

The former Parma star will receive test results later Wednesday to discover just how serious the problem is, but it now seems certain that he will not be ready for the start of the season at the end of this month.

With Zlatan Ibrahimovic still working his way back to full fitness, a long injury layoff to Adriano could be a big blow to Inter ahead of its upcoming Supercoppa Italiana clash with Roma.

The Nerazzurri kick off their Serie A campaign with a trip to the Stadio Ferraris to play Sampdoria on Aug. 30.