As Napoli gear up to face Hellas Verona in their upcoming Serie A fixture, manager Antonio Conte is keeping a close eye on the fitness of wingers Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Matteo Politano. Both players are inching closer to their comebacks from injury, but Conte may opt to stick with the same starting lineup that has served him well in recent matches.
The attacking trio of David Neres, Leonardo Spinazzola, and Romelu Lukaku is likely to remain intact, spearheading Napoli’s offensive efforts. In a boost for the Partenopei, left-back Mathias Olivera is expected to shake off a minor calf issue and retain his position in the defensive line.
Conte’s squad is set to be bolstered by the imminent arrival of Bournemouth midfielder Phillip Billing on a loan deal. However, the Italian tactician will have to continue without the services of key center-back Alessandro Buongiorno, with Juan Jesus stepping in to fill the void in defence.
Hellas Verona, on the other hand, face some selection challenges as they make the journey south. The visitors will be without two regular starters due to suspension: Suat Serdar, who received a red card in last week’s draw against Udinese, and Jackson Tchatchoua, who has accumulated five yellow cards in the league. Additionally, Martin Frese, Juan Cruz, and Abdou Harroui are sidelined with injuries.
Despite these setbacks, Verona can take heart from the impressive form of striker Casper Tengstedt. The Danish forward has been a revelation in his Serie A debut season, netting six goals evenly split between home and away fixtures – the highest tally among newcomers to the league this term. Tengstedt is expected to lead the line alongside Amin Sarr as Verona seeks to upset the odds at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
Napoli (4-2-3-1): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Jesus, Olivera; Anguissa, Lobotka; Neres, McTominay, Spinazzola; Lukaku
Hellas Verona (3-4-1-2) : Montipo; Dawidowicz, Coppola, Ghilardi; Lazovic, Duda, Belahyane, Bradaric; Suslov; Sarr, Tengstedt
