Inzaghi's struggling Inter face touch challenge at in-form Udinese

Inter Milan visit Serie A surprise package Udinese on Saturday and anything short of a victory could ring alarm bells for the champions who are sixth in the standings after five rounds.

Inter manager Simone Inzaghi finds himself under scrutiny after Italian media reports suggesting the club's board are dissatisfied with the team's mediocre start to the season.

With AC Milan's late 2-1 win in Sunday's derby easing the pressure on their coach Paulo Fonseca for now, the spotlight is firmly on Inzaghi whose side have just eight points.

Inter face a formidable challenge at third-placed Udinese, whose unbeaten start includes three wins in four games though they suffered their first defeat when AS Roma beat them 3-0.

While Inter's Marcus Thuram has started the season well with four goals to jointly top the scoring charts, Inzaghi needs captain Lautaro Martinez to return to form after a goal drought.

Inter were heavily reliant on their top scorer last season when he netted 24 league goals, but the forward has yet to find the net in the new campaign.

After a demanding summer with Argentina when he won the Copa America, Martinez has had limited opportunities for rest.

"I feel that responsibility and realise I am not doing what I did last season," Martinez said. "I'm lagging behind, but all I can do is keep working to get stronger."

MILAN BOOST

While Milan's victory over Inter gave Fonseca a big boost, he is not out of the woods yet, although a home win over 17th-placed Lecce on Friday would give him some breathing room.

Another victory could also buy him valuable time to gain trust in his vision for the team, especially with Milan's board reportedly pleased with the progress they saw against Inter.

Fonseca will, however, most likely be