Jose Mourinho is expecting Catania to be defensive when Inter Milan play them at the San Siro on Saturday.

Inter are two points clear of Sampdoria after eight games, while Catania are 15th after their first win of the season over Cagliari last week.

"We're top of the table - there's still a long way to go until the end of the championship - but it is always better to be in this position," Mourinho reasons.

"It will be like every game that Inter have played at the San Siro against these kind of teams, who want to come away from Milan with something.

"It will be a difficult one, after concentrating on a Champions League game until Tuesday."

Inter twice had to come from behind to secure a 2-2 draw with Dynamo Kiev in midweek, their third draw in three group matches in Europe.

But the manager is not concerned about their prospects of qualifying for the knockout stages of the Champions League.

"We will talk about it at the right time," said Mourinho, whose team travel to Kiev after two home Serie A games against Catania and Palermo and an away fixture at Livorno.

"I can just say that our group is without doubt the most difficult and the most balanced.

"It's a group in which Inter are the only team who have not won or lost - and Inter have exactly the same possibility of qualifying as the other three teams."

Walter Samuel - who scored the second equaliser against Dynamo - Thiago Motta, Diego Milito and Esteban Cambiasso will not feature tomorrow.

"I prefer to rest Walter for the next matches, but the other three South Americans are all injured," Mourinho explained on his club's website.

"This is football. I can't cry - I can only play with the players I have available. I was hoping to have Diego, but the doctor told me that it's better not to risk him."

Samuel Eto'o is available, however, after a foot injury.

"He's much better," said Mourinho.

"He's still not 100% but he will do even better tomorrow after he managed to stay on the pitch against Dynamo in very difficult conditions."

Catania's win over Cagliari lifted them out of the relegation zone and level with their beaten opponents on seven points.

"We played better in previous games, but the important thing is that we finally got a victory," said Catania coach Gianluca Atzori.

"We have taken a big weight off our shoulders, having not won in our opening seven games.

"Now we have to recover our strength and concentrate on what will be a very hard game for us at Inter Milan."