Cagliari manager Davide Nicola addressed the media ahead of his team’s upcoming Serie A match against Parma, highlighting both challenges and opportunities for the struggling side.
Nicola began by addressing the injury situation: “Wieteska, Pavoletti, Lapadula, and Jankto will be out. We hope to recover them for next week. Prati has recovered and is doing well.”
The manager emphasized a focus on improvement rather than dwelling on past results: “We’re a team that needs to avoid relegation, and we’ve made our calculations. We don’t concentrate on defeats, but on ourselves. The midweek cup match and the training retreat have provided some answers.”
When asked about tactical variations, Nicola praised Parma while outlining Cagliari’s approach: “Parma is a very strong team, that’s a fact. They’re well-built and have been working together for three years. But in this retreat, we’ve focused on our way of building play and making sure it’s not an easy game for opponents. We’re on the right path, but we need to improve on details, like closing out games, as well as reading game patterns and not losing balance.”
Regarding the attacking lineup, Nicola acknowledged limitations due to injuries: “Without Pavoletti and Lapadula, the choices will be more or less forced. The team has alternatives and ideas.”
Nicola also provided insight into Cagliari’s tactical flexibility: “We can vary between three and four at the back depending on the opponent. I never want our aggressiveness to change. We have defenders with certain characteristics, and based on the opponent’s characteristics, we have the ability to change.”
On the specific issue with Lapadula, Nicola explained: “It’s likely an elongation of the muscles on the right side. I think he’ll be back next week.”
The manager concluded by discussing tactical adjustments for forward Luvumbo: “We’re working on a new position and new tactical tasks for him. We’ve already tried to put these into practice in recent games.”
