As Roma gears up for their highly anticipated Serie A match against Napoli on Sunday evening, manager Claudio Ranieri faces some tough decisions regarding his squad selection. Having fielded his strongest lineup in a midweek Europa League fixture to avoid an early exit from the competition, Ranieri may opt to stick with the same group of players for the upcoming league encounter.
The Giallorossi are currently enjoying a rare period of good fortune on the injury front, although they recently bid farewell to Spanish center-back Mario Hermoso, who completed a move to Bayer Leverkusen. However, Hermoso had already been relegated to a backup role under Ranieri’s management.
Roma’s attack has been bolstered by the impressive form of Ukrainian striker Artem Dovbyk, who has found the net in each of his last three league appearances. Dovbyk’s impact extends beyond just scoring, as he has been directly involved in more goals than any other player over the past six Serie A matchdays, with four goals and two assists to his name.
On the opposing side, Napoli’s frontline will be spearheaded by former Roma striker Romelu Lukaku, who scored the decisive goal in the reverse fixture back in November. The Belgian international recently celebrated his 150th Serie A appearance, with 32 of those coming during his stint with Roma last season.
Napoli’s squad is nearly at full strength, with left-back Mathias Olivera being their only absentee. There’s positive news for the Partenopei as defensive stalwart Alessandro Buongiorno has resumed full training and could potentially make the bench for Sunday’s match.
In light of these absences, Napoli is expected to rely on two former Roma players to fill the gaps. Leonardo Spinazzola is likely to deputize for Olivera at left-back, while Juan Jesus will continue to hold down the fort in central defense until Buongiorno is fully match-fit.
Roma (3-4-2-1): Svilar; Mancini, Hummels, Ndicka; Saelemaekers, Kone, Paredes, Angelino; Dybala, Pellegrini; Dovbyk
Napoli (4-3-3): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Jesus, Spinazzola; Anguissa, Lobotka, McTominay; Politano, Lukaku, Neres
