Napoli welcome Roma to Naples on Saturday for their next Serie A fixture, with the visitors aiming to preserve their perfect unbeaten record in the league.
Roma have been excellent under Gian Piero Gasperini, occupying third place in Serie A and yet to taste defeat domestically. They possess the strongest defensive record in the division, underlined by their recent 2-0 victory against Genoa and a goalless stalemate with Como. On the continental stage, they responded impressively to a painful 4-3 defeat by Real Madrid, dismantling Slovan Bratislava 4-0 in midweek and demonstrating the strength of their attacking options despite a lengthy injury list.
AS Roma team news
Gasperini’s high-flying third-placed team head to Naples dealing with a serious availability problem, with four established first-choice players unavailable.
Lorenzo Pellegrini is the newest absentee, expected to be out for as long as eight weeks after suffering a thigh injury in the midweek European fixture.
The Giallorossi will also be without star man Paulo Dybala, who has torn a calf muscle, while Manu Koné is sidelined by a thigh complaint. Their defensive concerns are further heightened by the absence of first-choice goalkeeper Mile Svilar, who will not return until late November because of a toe issue, leaving Pierluigi Gollini to deputise between the posts.
There is, however, a welcome lift for their stretched midfield, as experienced Bryan Cristante has returned earlier than expected from a knee problem and has been included in the matchday squad.
Roma are expected to adopt a 3-4-2-1 system similar to Napoli’s, relying on Bryan Cristante and Marten de Roon to provide stability in the middle of the park, with Donyell Malen leading the line.
AS Roma predicted lineup
Possible AS Roma starting XI: Gollini; Mancini, Ndicka, Hermoso; Lulli, De Roon, Pisilli, Wesley; Soule, Mora; Malen
When will the match kick off?
The match will kick off at 5pm BST on Saturday, 24th October.
How to watch Napoli vs AS Roma?
The Napoli versus Roma clash can be viewed live in the UK on DAZN UK and TNT Sports 4.
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