Wanda Nara, agent and wife of exiled Inter Milan striker Mauro Icardi, responded to comments from Inter manager Luciano Spalletti calling the striker’s ongoing contract standoff “humiliating” for the club, by stating that the Argentine is fit and ready to make a return to action.

Icardi has not played in six weeks after he was stripped of the captaincy in February, though the player’s camp has maintained that he has been recovering from an injury.

The 26-year-old was in the stands for Inter’s 1-0 home loss to Lazio on Sunday, along with Nara, but Spalletti was scathing in his criticism of Icardi.

“It’s obvious for everyone to see what happened. It’s obvious,” he told Sky Sport Italia after the game. “The way he has behaved, he needs to stay away and others have to play.

“Negotiating with someone just to get him to pull on the Inter shirt. What, do I need to email 20 lawyers and ask them if I can call someone up?”

There were rumours of a bust-up between Icardi and others at Inter after he returned to training this week, likely the latest example of the behaviour Spalletti was criticising.

But Nara insisted that Icardi’s absence against Lazio was purely Spalletti’s decision, with the striker ready to feature for the club.

“Mauro is ready and it’s all down to the coach’s decision,” she told TV show Tiki Taka.

“If Mauro came back, would he make the same choices? It depends on what choices… I don’t know. It depends on how you see the situation.

“Mauro has not yet spoken: he only expects to play and is preparing for this.

“His [Spalletti’s] words are not a step back. Mauro is used to hearing so many things around him, but then focuses on what needs to be done to help Inter on the field.”

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