Maurizio Sarri Drops Nigeria Star from Serie A List despite Lazio Plea | OneFootball

Lazio manager Maurizio Sarri is adamant about excluding Fisayo Dele-Bashiru from the Serie A squad list, even though the hierarchy disagrees with the decision.

Lazio Without Four Midfielders for Genoa Clash

The 66-year-old had a difficult decision amidst the immense midfield emergency. Dele-Bashiru has been ruled out with a muscle injury for around a month, while Nicolo Rovella is unavailable due to a groin problem. To make matters even worse, Matteo Guendouzi (two games) and Reda Belahyane (one game) will be suspended after picking up red cards in the Derby della Capitale defeat to Roma.

Therefore, Sarri will call upon the services of Toma Basic who was initially omitted from the Serie A squad due to the lack of space. However, the reinstatment of the Croatian midfielder can only ensue by dropping another player. In recent days, there has been a major debate about the identity of the excluded player, as Serie A clubs are only allowed to make two changes before January.

Sarri Insists on Dropping Fisayo Dele-Bashiru From Lazio Squad

A previous report from Il Messaggero claimed that the head coach had been considering dropping Dele-Bashiru, while the club’s sporting director, Angelo Fabiani, had been urging him to omit Manuel Lazzari or Elseid Hysaj instead. Nevertheless, Il Corriere dello Sport (via La Lazio Siamo Noi) reveals that Sarri has already made his decision, replacing Dele-Bashiru with Basic.

(Photo by Marco Rosi – SS Lazio/Getty Images)

The Roman newspaper reports that Lazio directors have been trying to talk the manager out of the decision before officially handing their matchday squad to the Lega Serie A. The deadline is on Sunday, 20:45 local time (24 hours before Monday’s contest against Genoa). However, the final call lies with Sarri, and he’s unwilling to change his mind.

Dele-Bashiru’s Exclusion Could Cause a Dilemma

As the source explains, Lazio would be able to reinstate Dele-Bashiru when he returns from injury in late October, but they would have to drop a player other than Basic, as they aren’t allowed to reverse their decision. The Nigerian will then leave the Italian capital in mid-December to join his national team in the African Cup of Nations, which further complicates the situation.