As Monza prepare to host Verona in a pivotal Serie A match, both teams are dealing with significant squad adjustments due to transfers, injuries, and suspensions.
Monza have been active in the January transfer window, compensating for Pablo Mari’s departure to Fiorentina by securing loan deals for Kacper Urbanski and Stefan Lekovic. Both new signings made their club debuts in last weekend’s fixture, providing fresh options for manager Salvatore Bocchetti.
However, Monza continues to grapple with several key absences. The midfield duo of Matteo Pessina and Roberto Gagliardini remain sidelined due to injuries, while experienced defender Luca Caldirola and goalkeeper Alessio Cragno are also unavailable. On a positive note, left-back Georgios Kyriakopoulos has recently returned to action and boasts an impressive record against Verona, having lost only twice in eight encounters and providing three assists.
Verona face their own challenges, with top scorer Casper Tengstedt likely to miss the match after sustaining an injury in the first half of last week’s game against Venezia. This absence could significantly impact Verona’s attacking prowess.
Despite these setbacks, Verona receive a boost with the return of Pawel Dawidowicz and Ondrej Duda from suspension. Additionally, new signing Daniel Oyegoke, recently arrived from Hearts, may make his debut for the club.
Verona’s injury woes continue with Davide Faraoni sidelined due to a muscle problem, while Martin Frese and Abdou Harroui are both out with knee injuries. The team’s defensive options have been further reduced following Giangiacomo Magnani’s transfer to Palermo.
Monza (3-4-3): Turati; D’Ambrosio, Izzo, Carboni; Pedro Pereira, Urbanski, Akpa Akpro, Kyriakopoulos; Ciurria, Dany Mota, Caprari
Hellas Verona (3-4-3): Montipo; Dawidowicz, Coppola, Ghilardi; Tchatchoua, Duda, Serdar, Bradaric; Suslov, Sarr, Kastanos
