Napoli arrives at the Olimpico with the aim of staying at the top, after the victories over Atalanta and Qarabag which got the team moving again despite an increasingly short squad. Today the match against Roma comes in a breathless calendar, between the Italian Cup on Wednesday against Cagliari and the championship match with Juventus on Sunday at Maradona.
The main issue remains the midfield: De Bruyne, Gilmour and Anguissa are out for a long time, as well as the left winger Gutierrez. Precisely for Gilmour, the club made official yesterday the surgery against the groin that the player will undergo in London: the recovery time varies between 50 and 60 days, with return in 2026.
Conte proposes a three-man defense with Buongiorno, Rrahmani and Beukema, while in the middle Lobotka and McTominay lead the defense with Di Lorenzo and Olivera on the flanks. Spinazzola returns to the bench after having been out of action for a month and can be used towards the end; Elmas remains as a wildcard for more areas of the field.
The real doubt is in attack. Lang and Neres have offered good performances in recent outings, but the coach evaluates the recovery of Politano, who had struggled physically in recent weeks. If the winger regains his condition, he could start in place of Lang.
Up front, Conte focuses on speed and tight combinations to accompany Hojlund, now in the team’s plans although without a goal since 5 October. The team’s latest goals instead bear the signatures of Neres and McTominay, who have become factors in Gasperini’s concerns just as Soulé and Dybala are for Conte himself.
1 minutes of reading
Keep reading
