Inter look to Antonio Cassano and Rodrigo Palacio for the lunchtime kick-off at the Stadio Friuli against Antonio Di Natale’s Udinese” data-scaytid=”6″>Udinese.
Inter look to Antonio Cassano and Rodrigo Palacio for the lunchtime kick-off at the Stadio Friuli against Antonio Di Natale’s Udinese.
The Friulani hope the Christmas break has done enough to shake off the fatigue that has followed them all season.
Mehdi Benatia and Emmanuel Badu are away on African Cup of Nations duty, while Giampiero Pinzi is suspended and Diego Fabbrini injured.
Di Natale leads out Udinese with support from Luis Muriel.
Inter aim to keep their title hopes alive after ending 2012 with one point from two rounds.
Andrea Ranocchia sits out a two-match ban for insulting officials, joining the injured Gaby Mudingayi, Cristian Chivu, Dejan Stankovic, Joel Obi, Luca Castellazzi, Yuto Nagatomo, Philippe Coutinho and Ricky Alvarez.
Diego Milito is a late addition to the injury list with a muscular problem, so Cassano partners Palacio in attack.
Esteban Cambiasso again steps into the centre-back role in Ranocchia’s absence, as both teams field three-man defences.
Udinese: Brkic; Heurtaux, Danilo, Domizzi; Basta, Pereyra, Allan, Lazzari, Pasquale; Muriel, Di Natale
Udinese bench: Padelli, Pawlowski, Angella, Faraoni, Barreto, Ranegie, Coda, Gabriel Silva, Merkel, Maicosuel, Willians, Zielinski
Inter: Handanovic; Samuel, Cambiasso, Juan Jesus; Jonathan, Zanetti, Gargano, Guarin, Pereira; Cassano, Palacio
Inter bench: Belec, Di Gennaro, Silvestre, Mariga, Rocchi, Benassi, Mbaye, Duncan, Bessa, Livaja