Inter midfielder Henrikh Hamlet Mkhitaryan played a decisive role in the Nerazzurri's positive test against Lumezzane during the international break, contributing alongside Agbonifo to a result that kept Cristian Chivu's squad sharp ahead of the return to Serie A action. For a player who has appeared in just one league match this season, the friendly carried more weight than the scoreline alone.
The so-what is straightforward: Mkhitaryan's involvement in that training fixture is the clearest recent evidence that he remains part of Chivu's working plans, even as his Serie A minutes have been carefully managed. At 37, every competitive appearance is a data point in an ongoing calculation — how much of this player does Inter actually have, and when?
The numbers available are modest but not dismissive. One Serie A appearance, a rating of 6.90, no goals and no assists: a quiet entry into a 2026-27 campaign that has otherwise been anything but quiet for the club. Chivu's Inter sit second in the table with 13 points from five matches — four wins, one draw — having scored 15 and conceded eight. That is a side running at a pace that demands reliable contributors at every position, and the midfield depth question is real.
An AI overall of 74 out of 100 reflects a player whose value is still measurable, even if the physical arithmetic of a 37-year-old in a high-tempo system sets natural limits. Mkhitaryan's worth to Inter has never been purely physical; his reading of space and his ability to control tempo in tight passages have always been the relevant currency. Whether Chivu can extract that in Serie A doses, rather than friendly cameos, is the practical question the season will answer.
The Supercoppa Italiana against Lazio, confirmed for 22 December, adds another fixture to the calendar — and another potential stage for a player who has historically performed in high-profile matches. For now, Mkhitaryan is fit, involved, and waiting. That is not nothing at 37.