Kolo Muani restored as Juventus host in-form Lazio without Spalletti
Juventus recall Randal Kolo Muani and Nico Gonzalez for Lazio's visit as Gennaro Gattuso's side chase top spot, with Luciano Spalletti banned from the touchline after his Cagliari red card.
Randal Kolo Muani is set to return to Juventus's starting eleven for Sunday evening's home game against Lazio, a fixture that doubles as a measure of how far Gennaro Gattuso has already moved the visitors since taking charge, according to Football Italia.
Lazio arrive in Turin looking to reclaim top spot in Serie A. Gattuso has won five of his first six league matches since becoming head coach, with the solitary blemish a draw, Football Italia reports.
The Biancocelesti's most recent outing produced a 3-1 win over Monza, though Gattuso was reportedly unhappy with how his side performed after the break, a detail that suggests the manager is still pushing for consistency across ninety minutes rather than settling for results alone.
That demand for control through a full match matters against a Juventus side still finding their rhythm after a midweek continental trip. The hosts beat Celta Vigo 2-1 in the Europa League on Thursday, a game in which Luciano Spalletti rotated heavily and gave Nick Woltemade a start through the middle.
Spalletti watches from the stands
Spalletti will not be on the touchline for this one. He was sent off at full-time of Juventus's previous league fixture, a 1-1 draw at Cagliari, following what Football Italia describes as a heated exchange with Fabio Pisacane, and he now serves the resulting suspension against Lazio.
Losing a head coach's live match-day input is rarely a minor detail, particularly against an opponent playing with the clear principles Gattuso has imposed in a short space of time. How Juventus manage in-game adjustments without Spalletti present will be as interesting as anything in the shape on the pitch.
Juventus's own setup for Sunday points to several changes from the Celta Vigo win. Kolo Muani is expected to lead the line again, with Nico Gonzalez restored to the attacking midfield positions in place of either Francisco Conceicao or Kerim Alajbegovic. Douglas Luiz is also tipped to come back into midfield ahead of Teun Koopmeiners, Football Italia reports.
The probable Juventus XI is a 3-4-2-1: Vicario in goal behind Kalulu, Bremer and Lucumi, with Celik, Douglas Luiz, Sarr and McKennie across midfield, and Nico Gonzalez and Alajbegovic supporting Kolo Muani up top.
Absences shape both teams' options
The hosts remain without Kenan Yildiz, Khephren Thuram and Manuel Locatelli through injury, alongside Jeremie Boga, Jeff Ekhator, Kamil Grabara and Arkadiusz Milik, a list long enough that Spalletti's rotation choices midweek look less like squad management and more like necessity.
Those gaps help explain why both Kolo Muani and Nico Gonzalez are expected back among the starters rather than being rested further after European involvement; Juventus simply have fewer alternatives to turn to in attack.
Lazio's own selection is set up in a 4-3-3: Mandas in goal, with Floriani, Sutalo, Provstgaard and Tavares forming the back line, Frattesi, Belahyane and Taylor in midfield, and Isaksen, Noslin and Zaccagni leading the front three.
The shape gives Gattuso width through Isaksen and Zaccagni either side of Noslin, with Frattesi expected to offer the kind of late midfield arrivals into the box that have become a feature of Lazio's attacking play under the new manager.
A table-topping incentive on both sides
Kick-off is scheduled for 19.45 BST, with Football Italia noting the game is available in the UK through TNT Sports, HBO Max and DAZN, and in the United States via Paramount+.
For Lazio, victory would carry them back above the chasing pack at the top of the division, continuing a run that has brought five wins from six since Gattuso's appointment. For Juventus, it is a chance to show that the energy expended in Vigo and the disruption of Spalletti's touchline ban have not derailed a side still adjusting personnel after a run of European and domestic fixtures in close succession.