Inter Milan captain Lautaro Martinez admits he played much of last season with painkillers.
Lautaro helped Argentina win the World Cup and also led Inter to the Champions League final where they were beaten by Manchester City.
I played the first few months of the season with an ankle problem, but because Romelu Lukaku and Tucu Correa were injured, I could not stop. I was the only striker, so I played thanks to painkillers, both pills and injections," Lautaro Martinez told Star+.
I was in so much pain in the opening World Cup match with Saudi Arabia, and then against Mexico too, I simply couldn't do any more.
All the way up until just before the Champions League Final, I took medication that allowed me to play. The pain meant I could not train, I could not kick the ball with the foot flexed. At times, just some movement made me see stars.
I did not give in, but eventually it became impossible. I dealt with it by closing up, crying alone in my room. I had to get my family and my daughter to visit often, as I needed their presence and affection.
It was really tough, because I was the top scorer of Lionel Scaloni's team before that World Cup and people expected a lot from me."
