Juventus in shreads for Cesena visit
Reuters - Friday 05 November 2010, 10:50
MILAN - Brief news from Serie A ahead of
this weekend's matches.
Juventus were without 15 players in Thursday's 0-0 Europa
League draw with Salzburg, which left qualification in the
balance, and the situation will only marginally improve for
Sunday's home game with Cesena when players
ineligible in Europe return.
Luigi Del Neri's side, without the suspended Milos Krasic,
may also miss defender Nicola Legrottaglie after he suffered a
leg strain on Thursday and youth team centre-back Frederik
Sorensen could come into contention.
Fourth-placed Juve look set to recall first team outcasts
Fabio Grosso and Hasan Salihamidzic to ease their injury woes.
AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic would like to play
with Filippo Inzaghi more often after the substitute scored
twice in the 2-2 draw with Real Madrid on Wednesday.
"With Pippo I'm freer because I can move around more,"
Ibrahimovic told reporters ahead of Sunday's trip to Bari. "Instead with the Brazilians (Ronaldinho, Alexandre
Pato, Robinho) I feel more obliged to stay in the box."
Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti has ticked off his
players after Tuesday's Champions League defeat at Tottenham
Hotspur and wants to get to the bottom of their injury problems
before Saturday's home game with Brescia.
"It was not good. We lacked play and character," he told
reporters. "I'm trying to find out why we are getting all these
injuries and hope they don't happen anymore."
Injuries mean coach Rafael Benitez has no obvious option to
play alongside Javier Zanetti in central midfield so Wesley
Sneijder may drop back or left-back Cristian Chivu could fill
in.
Anticipation is building for Sunday's Rome derby with 4,000 Lazio fans turning up for the league leaders'
training session on Thursday.
Lazio, without suspended defender Giuseppe Biava, have a
slight doubt over goalkeeper Fernando Muslera because of a
thigh strain while AS Roma, who have Francesco Totti banned,
look set to also miss injured centre back Nicolas Burdisso.
Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri is struggling to raise his
weary troops for Sunday's home game with Parma following
Thursday's 3-1 defeat at Liverpool where Steven Gerrard scored
a late hat-trick.
"Gerrard wasn't decisive, it was us who lost the game
partly because of tiredness having played every three days," he
told reporters.
Sixth-placed Sampdoria are poised to again leave out
Antonio Cassano for the visit of Catania on Sunday after
he swore at the club president. His continued banishment comes
despite fellow striker Nicola Pozzi being suspended.
"I can't, I can't," club president Riccardo Garrone told
Italian TV when asked if he would pardon the Italy forward
before adding: "We'll see".