Luciano Spalletti could switch to a three-man defence with Dries Mertens and Andrea Petagna up front against Walter Mazzarri’s Cagliari.
It kicks off at 18.00 UK time today.
The Partenopei could join Milan on top of the Serie A table if they take all three points from Sardinia.
However, they are without several key players in attack and midfield. Stanis Lobotka, Zambo Anguissa, Lorenzo Insigne, Hirving Lozano and Matteo Politano didn’t travel with the team to Cagliari, so Fabian Ruiz and Diego Demme are the only two centre midfielders available for Luciano Spalletti.
Victor Osimhen is not 100% fit, so Petagna and Mertens should start up front.
Cagliari are without Sebastian Walukiewicz, Nahitan Nandez, Marko Rog, Kevin Strootman and Damir Ceter. Other key players, including Razvan Marin, Leonardo Pavoletti, Andrea Carboni and Alessandro Deiola are not fully fit, but some of them could start anyway.
Pavoletti scored three goals in the last four Serie A games. Cagliari have lost just one Serie A match in 2022. Only Napoli and Juventus are still unbeaten in the new year.
Probable line-ups
Cagliari (3-5-2): Cragno; Goldaniga, Ceppitelli, Altare; Bellanova, Marin, Grassi, Deiola, Dalbert; Joao Pedro, Pavoletti.
Napoli (3-4-3): Ospina; Rrahmani, Koulibaly, Juan Jesus; Di Lorenzo, Demme, Zielinski, Mario Rui; Elmas, Petagna, Mertens
Napoli injury crisis strikes again. The squad is serious wafer-thin – the bench will be Ounas, Meret, Malcuit and Gholam – who have a combined, like, 30 minutes of action between them this year.
Compare to Juve, Milan, Inter and this seems ridiculous.
It is my sad duty as a Napoli fan to note that, injury crisis or not, my Partenopei have in previous years choked in situations such as this. Here’s hoping Spalletti proves to be a better preparer than other coaches have been in the past.
Forza Napoli sempre!