Napoli vs AS Roma – Match preview and team news | OneFootball

Napoli and AS Roma will go head-to-head in a Serie A encounter on Sunday, with both sides fighting for the three points in their chase towards the top in what promises to be a thrilling Derby del Sole.

The reigning Serie A champions currently sit third in the table with 49 points from 24 matches, 12 points behind leaders Inter Milan, while Roma occupy fifth position on 46 points, level with fourth-placed Juventus but behind on goal difference with a game in hand.

Napoli vs AS Roma – Match preview and team news

Napoli team news

Antonio Conte faces a severe injury crisis ahead of this fixture, with the Napoli boss previously describing the situation as “absurd”. The Partenopei have been ravaged by injuries throughout the season, exposing what Conte has called flaws in the club’s transfer policy.

Star midfielder Scott McTominay might recover just in time for this clash after failing to recover last time from a tendon issue sustained during the 3-2 victory over Genoa.

Kevin De Bruyne (hamstring), Billy Gilmour (muscle injury), Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa (muscle injury) and David Neres (ankle) are all long-term absentees.

Juan Jesus is suspended following his red card against Genoa, while Romelu Lukaku might remain on the bench as he continues building match fitness after a lengthy absence.

Giovanni Di Lorenzo suffered what appears to be a serious knee injury against Fiorentina, with Conte suggesting it could involve cruciate ligament damage that will sideline him for two months.

AS Roma team news

Roma boss Gian Piero Gasperini has his own injury concerns. Paulo Dybala experienced discomfort in the final training session of the week and might remain sidelined, having seemed to overcome knee soreness that forced him to miss the last two fixtures before it flared up again.

Mario Hermoso remains unavailable with a foot injury, though Gasperini stated: “He is nursing a major bruise, but we believe he’ll be back next week”.

Matias Soulé is questionable after “playing through a sports hernia” according to Gasperini, with this week proving “tougher for him than previous ones”. He will undergo a fitness test on game day.

In positive news, Robinio Vaz “has healed quickly and practised regularly for most of the week” following a calf injury and will be available to back up Donyell Malen. However, Evan Ferguson and Manu Kone remain sidelined.

Form

Napoli

Antonio Conte’s side comes into this fixture having suffered a disappointing penalty shootout defeat to Como in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals on Tuesday. Before that setback, Napoli secured back-to-back Serie A victories with a dramatic 3-2 win at Genoa, where Rasmus Højlund scored a 95th-minute penalty, and a 2-1 home victory over Fiorentina.

AS Roma

Roma returned to winning ways on Monday with a commanding 2-0 victory over Cagliari at the Stadio Olimpico, with Donyell Malen among the scorers. Their only recent setback came in a 1-0 away loss to Udinese on February 2, while they also drew 1-1 with AC Milan at home in late January.

Predicted lineups

Napoli: Milinkovic-Savic; Beukema, Rrahmani, Buongiorno; Politano, Lobotka, McTominay, Spinazzola; Vergara, Elmas; Hojlund.

AS Roma: Svilar; Mancini, Ndicka, Ghilardi; Celik, Cristante, Pisilli, Wesley; Zaragoza, Pellegrini; Malen.

How to watch Napoli vs AS Roma?

You can watch Napoli vs AS Roma in the UK on TNT Sports 1 and DAZN.

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