Injured Sneijder to miss final

Inter Milan will have to win the Club World Cup without Wesley Sneijder, with Rafael Benitez confirming the Dutchman will miss Saturday’s final.

Sneijder was substituted after just two minutes of Inter’s 3-0 semi-final victory over Seongnam Ilhwa on Wednesday after sustaining a thigh injury.

Dejan Stankovic, Javier Zanetti and Diego Milito all scored for Inter, and Benitez was pleased with the performance after the early blow of losing Sneijder.

“It was not easy at the beginning, it was difficult for us to lose Sneijder early on in the game. We had to readjust,” Benitez said.

“I think he has a muscular strain and it’s almost certain he won’t be there for the final,” Benitez said.

Benitez singled out Milito on his return from injury, saying Inter were a better side with the Argentine striker in it.

“It was not an easy game and we faced a very pacey opponent, but we did well,” Benitez said.

“Perhaps we were lacking a little sharpness, but we will improve. Diego is important for us and represents a great reference point in attack. We knew that with Milito we’d be more dangerous.”

Mazembe, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, became the first team from outside Europe or South America to qualify for the final of the tournament when they upset Brazil’s Internacional 2-0 on Tuesday.

And despite their underdog status, Benitez is expecting plenty of fight from the Africans.

“The name of the opponent is unimportant,” he said. “Mazembe work hard and it will not be an easy match.”