Lazio lose Tavares and Sutalo for at least three weeks as Juventus chase 11-point gap
Defenders Nuno Tavares and Josip Sutalo hurt their hamstrings at Napoli, leaving unbeaten Serie A leaders Lazio short in defence. The setback hits Gattuso's back line just as Juventus return from the break chasing the leaders.
Lazio’s defence has suffered a double blow. Nuno Tavares and Josip Sutalo were both injured in the 1-1 draw at Napoli. The timing is awkward for the leaders, who resume their league campaign against Lecce on 21 November.
Exact recovery times will only be set once all clinical tests are complete. The early estimate is about 20 days for each player, Sky Sport Italia reported. On that timeline, both miss the home game against Lecce and could return for the trip to Torino on 28 November.
Not every report is that hopeful. Football Italia reported that the pair should miss both the Lecce and Torino games. Under that scenario, they hope to be available again in the first week of December. The match against Atalanta on 6 December is also in doubt.
Gattuso loses both a creative full-back and a centre-back
Tavares has been a real attacking outlet this season. He has one goal and four assists in 11 Serie A games. He also has a long record of muscle injuries. Sutalo has made eight league appearances since joining on loan from Ajax on 22 August.
Lazio must now turn to their alternatives. Alfonso Pedraza, who joined from Villarreal in the summer, is the leading option at left-back. He has played 322 minutes across the league and Coppa Italia. Diogo Leite and Doekhi are competing to replace Sutalo in the middle.
The stand-ins inherit a strong record. Lazio have scored 25 goals and conceded 9 so far. Keeping that defensive record with a reshuffled back line is now Gattuso’s task.
Juventus return the day after Lazio host Lecce
Juventus know Lazio’s quality first-hand. Gattuso’s side won 3-0 in Turin earlier this season. That result still weighs on the table. Five wins, three draws and three defeats make up the Juventus record from their opening games.
Two missing defenders will not close the gap on their own. They do, however, give Juventus a window in which the leaders are weaker than usual. Any dropped points by Lazio over the coming rounds would only count if Juventus take care of their own fixtures.
Those fixtures follow Lazio’s closely. Como v Juventus is scheduled for Sunday 29 November at 20:45, the day after Lazio’s game against Torino. Further ahead, Lazio’s aim is to have both defenders fit for the Rome derby on 13 December.
