Inter Milan defender Matteo Darmian says it's important to be leading Serie A during the winter break.

Inter return to action next week against AC Milan.

Darmian said, “We knew that January was important for us and we overcame it in the best possible way. Now with this break we are preparing as best we can for another very important month in which we will have many difficult challenges.

“We want to do our best and move forward in all competitions and we will try, starting from the derby. When we play well we have more fun too, but we can't always and sometimes we have to be dirtier."

He added: “We know that Milan is a very strong team, in the last year and a half they have been doing very well but we are no less and we will certainly prove it. It would be a wonderful thing to be able to win, then if a goal from me comes it would be even better but the important thing is that the team brings home results."