Pisa, Gilardino: No fear before Napoli, Stengs out, Albiol doubt | OneFootball

On the eve of the toughest away game of the season, against Napoli, Alberto Gilardino appeared at the press conference with his usual direct and determined approach.

Pisa, Gilardino on the eve of Napoli: "No fear, total trust in my boys. Stengs out, evaluations on Albiol"

The Pisa coach addressed several hot topics: from the condition of the injured players to the choice of the line-up, to the message of trust sent to his players.

Stengs ko, alarm in attack

The first bad news concerns Calvin Stengs. Gilardino clearly explained the situation: "Stengs had a problem with his adductor. We are waiting for the final results, but I believe the injury is serious. We hope the recovery time is not long, if not very long".

The coach added that Denoon is also not at his best, although it is a less serious problem.

"No fear in Napoli"

The heart of the conference, however, was dedicated to the match with the Italian champions. Gilardino wanted to immediately clarify the attitude with which Pisa will take to the field at Maradona: "The word fear cannot exist in our vocabulary. We must play with compactness and confidence. I will tell the boys to give everything. I have great trust in them and there is the desire to challenge a very strong team. The goal will be to stay short, not stretch as against Udinese, and sacrifice to then try to determine when we have the ball".

Tactics and offensive solutions

On the tactical level, Gilardino has opened up to several options: "I have also considered playing with two forwards and a more offensive midfielder, but also to confirm the three midfielders. Tramoni can be the second forward, Cuadrado I see better as a right winger and could already play, while Leris is very reliable on the left. We have many solutions".

The coach also focused on the problem of scoring, a central theme in Pisa: "We have not scored yet, but soon the goals will come. Nzola is doing well, we have a lot of confidence in him. He must lead us with his experience, even if he is not yet at one hundred percent".

The individuals: Lorran, Akinsanmiro and the new Albiol

Gilardino also took stock of the individuals. On Lorran: "He's doing well, but he comes from a different league. Patience is needed, soon we will also be able to count on him".

Very positive words about Akinsanmiro: "I expected him like this, I liked him in both phases. He must continue on this path".

Finally, an important passage on Raul Albiol, who could debut against his former team: "Raul is a champion in every sense, even human. He helps everyone and has fit in very well with the group. But I have to manage him: he has just arrived and I don't want to risk injuries. We wait for his condition to improve".

Pisa in Napoli: a daunting but not impossible challenge

Pisa arrives at Maradona with many questions but also with the conviction that they can play their own game. Without Stengs and with some players not at their best, Gilardino relies on organization and mutual trust in the locker room.

His words at the conference are a clear message: against Napoli it won't be a walk in the park, but the Nerazzurri want to play openly, without fear.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.