Depleted Lazio Prepares for Arezzo Test: Official Squad & Probable Lineup
On Sunday, Lazio will host Arezzo in a friendly that will be played behind closed doors at the Formello Training Centre. The contest will kick off at 15:00 CET.
Lazio Will Play Arezzo on Sunday
Gennaro Gattuso is determined to maintain the early-season momentum, so he wants his players to remain active during the extended international break. The Biancocelesti will thus play two friendlies against Serie B opponents: Arezzo and Juve Stabia.
Gennaro Gattuso Has Limited Options
Ahead of Sunday’s game against Arezzo, Lazio released the official matchday squad. In addition to the eight players who were called up for international duty, Gattuso will be without the injured Nicolo Rovella and Matteo Cancellieri, as well as Adam Marusic, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, and Danilo Cataldi, who will be rested as they continue to work their way towards full recovery.
Patric is also missing, as he reportedly headed to Dubai in the hopes of finalising a transfer to Al-Ittifaq before Monday’s Emirati transfer deadline.
Lazio Squad vs Arezzo
Goalkeepers: Motta, Pannozzo, Renzetti;
Defenders: R. Bordon, Ciucci, Doekhi, Floriani M., Lazzari, Leite, Pedraza, Pellegrini;
Midfielders: Belahyane, Canali, Farcomeni, Gatto, Milillo, Morelli, Santagostino;
Forwards: Montano, Noslin, Pinamonti, Serra, Sulejmani, Zaccagni.
Unavailable: F. Bordon, Cancellieri, Cataldi, Dele-Bashiru, Furlanetto, Galassi, Marusic, Patric, Przbyborek, Rovella.
International players: Frattesi, Sutalo, Gudmundsson, Taylor, Isaksen, Provstgaard, Tavares, Mandas
The Probable Lineup
In the absence of Christos Mandas, Edoardo Motta should start in goal for Lazio. Former Union Berlin defenders Diogo Leite and Danilho Doekhi should link up at the back, while Romano Floriani Mussolini and Alfonso Pedraza are the favourites to occupy the full-back slots at the expense of Manuel Lazzari and Luca Pellegrini (who is omitted from the Serie A squad).
Reda Belahyane is the only available first-team midfielder, so he could be joined by Valerio Farcomeni. This could be an opportunity to test a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Tijjani Noslin starting behind Andrea Pinamonti, while Mattia Zaccagni and the young Federico Serra take the wings.
Lazio Expected XI (4-2-3-1): Motta; Floriani Mussolini, Doekhi, Leite, Pedraza; Farcomeni, Belahyane; Serra, Noslin, Zaccagni; Pinamonti.
