Roberto D’Aversa wants Parma to ‘think positive’ despite having his team decimated by injuries and bans against Sassuolo. ‘We don’t have any defenders.’
It kicks off on Sunday at 14.00 GMT, click here for a match preview.
The coach opened his press conference with a warning that the injury crisis had reached new levels.
Roberto D’Aversa wants Parma to ‘think positive’ despite having his team decimated by injuries and bans against Sassuolo. ‘We don’t have any defenders.’
It kicks off on Sunday at 14.00 GMT, click here for a match preview.
The coach opened his press conference with a warning that the injury crisis had reached new levels.
“The only defender we have is Simone Iacoponi and even he only had a bit of a training session with the team, so until yesterday, we weren’t going to bring him in at all,” said D’Aversa.
“At this moment, we don’t have the defenders to play any system. I could make do with some midfielders, look to a few lads from the youth team. I don’t want alibis, though, so we must think positive and try to get a result.”
Roberto Inglese is also absent due to a family bereavement, with Hernani suspended, but the injury list includes Juraj Kucka, Alberto Grassi, Yann Karamoh, Bruno Alves, Yordan Osorio, Vincent Laurini, Botond Balogh, Riccardo Gagliolo and Hans Nicolussi Caviglia.
“There are moments when after five consecutive defeats, self-esteem is lacking and you have to work on the mentality as well as tactics and physical fitness. The best medicine is a victory.”
Parma squad for Sassuolo: Colombi, Rinaldi, Sepe; Busi, Dierckx, Iacoponi, Pezzella, Radu, Ricci; Brugman, Camara, Cyprien, Dezi, Grassi, Kucka, Kurtic, Sohm, Traoré; Artistico, Brunetta, Cornelius, Gervinho, Mihaila, Sprocati