Inter midfielder Henrikh Hamlet Mkhitaryan has featured in one Serie A match this season, earning a rating of 6.90 as the Nerazzurri opened their 2026-27 campaign with four consecutive wins and 12 points from a possible 12. The Armenian veteran, who turned 37 in January, sits at the edge of Cristian Chivu's rotation at a moment when Inter look sharper than almost anyone in the division.
The so-what is straightforward: with Hakan Çalhanoğlu unavailable for Inter's upcoming away fixture against Roma, Chivu's midfield options narrow considerably, and Mkhitaryan's role shifts from peripheral to potentially pivotal. A player of his profile — experienced, technically assured, capable of reading the game at reduced physical cost — becomes more valuable precisely when a squad's depth is tested.
His AI overall of 74 out of 100 reflects a player who remains functional at the highest level without being the dominant force he once was. At 37, that is not a criticism; it is a description of what he offers. Mkhitaryan has never been a high-volume contributor in the mould of a box-to-box midfielder who accumulates statistics through sheer presence. His value has always been positional intelligence and technical reliability — qualities that age more gracefully than pace or pressing intensity.
Inter's early-season numbers tell a story of collective efficiency: 13 goals scored, six conceded across four matches, a defensive record that suggests Chivu's structure is functioning. Mkhitaryan's single appearance in that run produced no goals or assists, but a 6.90 rating indicates he did nothing to disrupt what is clearly a well-organised system.
The Çalhanoğlu absence is the immediate context. Without the Turkish midfielder anchoring the base of Inter's shape, Chivu must redistribute responsibility across the midfield unit. Mkhitaryan's reading of space and his ability to recycle possession under pressure make him a credible option to absorb some of that burden, even if the tactical demands of a fixture against Roma away will test his physical limits.
At this stage of his career, Mkhitaryan is not a player Inter build around. He is a player they deploy with precision — a resource to be managed rather than exhausted. The question Chivu faces is not whether Mkhitaryan can still contribute, but whether the fixture and the moment call for what he specifically provides. Against Roma, with the squad stretched, the answer may well be yes.