Serie A: on the pitch at 3pm Napoli-Verona 0-0
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The day before.
It's a sliding doors Napoli that is preparing to return to Maradona to welcome Verona.
Anguissa and Natan return, while Demme and especially Zielinski remain out of the lists, even if only from the Champions League list.
Above all, the exclusion of the Polish midfielder with his contract expiring and now ready to move to Inter next season, included in the list for the championship, while he remained out of the Champions League where Napoli is still in the running, makes noise and will face Barcelona in the round of 16.
An early farewell of five months instead for Demme, whose contract also expires in 2024, who remains outside of both lists.
The transfer market is behind us: many negotiations but in the end the expected reinforcement for the defense did not arrive.
However, today Mazzarri woke up with the good news of the return of Natan, who has completed all training with the team and is ready to start at least from the bench in Sunday's match against Verona: the 22-year-old Brazilian defender has been absent due to injury since match before the Christmas break and now he has a great desire to return to a Napoli team that the coach is fielding with three defenders.
Although the temptation to return to 4-3-3 remains.
While waiting to decide on the lineup, Mazzarri knows he also has Anguissa available and that he can count on the new arrivals, especially Ngonge, on whom both the club and the fans place many hopes of rediscovering the ability to assist and score goals of his compatriot Mertens , still in the hearts of Neapolitans today.
Napoli against Verona will find Simeone in attack again with Kvaratskhelia and Politano on the outside or behind him, while Zielinski is out for this week as he hasn't trained due to a muscle strain.
However, the squad is long again, awaiting Osimhen's return from Africa, but Mazzarri knows that the victory against Verona comes first to lift the mood of the fans and give confidence to the team.
His goal to close his new spell at Napoli in style is to reach the Champions League to leave the new coach with a Napoli that is still among the big names in Europe.
A long run that must begin on Sunday with a victory, and then face the away match at Milan with a refreshed team.
These are the probable lineups
Napoli (4-3-3): 95 Gollini, 22 Di Lorenzo, 33 Rrahmani, 5 Juan Jesus, 6 Rui;
99 Anguissa, 68 Lobotka, 24 Cajuste;
21 Politano, 18 Simeone, 77 Kvaratskhelia.
(14 Contini, 16 Idasiak, 3 Natan, 55 Ostigard, 30 Mazzocchi, 32 Dendoncker, 8 Traoré, 20 Zielinski, 29 Lindstrom, 26 Ngonge, 81 Raspadori).
All. Mazzarri.
Suspended: none Notified of a booking: Juan Jesus, Di Lorenzo, Mario Rui, Mazzocchi, Ngonge Unavailable: Olivera, Meret, Osimhen.
Verona (4-2-3-1): 1 Montipò, 38 Tchatchoua, 23 Magnani, 27 Dawidowicz, 32 Cabal, 25 Serdar, 33 Duda, 7 Tavsan, 31 Suslov, 90 Folorunsho, 17 Noslin.
(16 Chiesa, 32 Perilli, 42 Coppola, 19 Vinagre, 37 Charlys, 21 Dani Silva, 6 Belahyane, 8 Lazovic, 13 Cruz, 9 Henry, 99 Bonazzoli).
All: Barons.
Suspended: none Notified of a booking: Magnani, Suslov and Dawidowicz Unavailable: Berardi.
Referee: Piccinini from Forlì.
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