The Nerazzurri captain underlined the significance of the game, stating that win would serve as a timely boost for everyone connected with the club after last weekend's 4-2 defeat at Napoli.
"The game affects the whole city; it's a game that makes history and if you win it you send out a strong message," the 40-year-old defender told Rai Sport.
"Unfortunately, we lost to Napoli and now we'll have to cope without [Ricardo] Alvarez [through suspension]. But we'll do everything we can to put on a top performance and get back to winning ways.
"[We'll do that] by pulling out all the stops, not leaving anything to chance and playing with heart. We must be really alert and focused."
Inter are currently fifth in Serie A, six places and nine points above Milan, but Esteban Cambiasso insists that form counts for nothing in this fixture.
"It doesn’t matter much. The derby is the derby and goes beyond these kinds of things," the midfielder stated.
"The derby is a different game from any other. It’s always special for us and AC Milan, and we’ll try to do everything we can to try and bring joy to our fans."
