Lazio will be without the services of Mattia Zaccagni in the Derby della Capitale, leaving his coach Igor Tudor with a real dilemma.
The 28-year-old was on the receiving end of a rough tackle courtesy of Juventus defender Federico Gatti during Tuesday’s Coppa Italia tie. This prompted a premature exit in the 13th minute, with Gustav Isaksen coming in as a replacement.
On Thursday, an official statement from the club ruled out a fracture. Nevertheless, the winger still came out with a left fracture to the left knee. Therefore, he will be out through injury for the fourth time this season.
According to La Lazio Siamo Noi, Zaccagni will be on the sidelines for two or three weeks. Hence, he won’t take part in Saturday’s major Derby della Capitale showdown against arch-rivals Roma.
This leaves Tudor with a headache when it comes to deciding the starting lineup for the crucial clash. He’s reportedly considering three different candidates for the role.
On Tuesday, Felipe Anderson, who started as an attacking midfielder in the 3-4-2-1 formation moved to the wing following Zaccagni’s exit. Therefore, the source expects the Brazilian to maintain this spot.
So at the moment, the real question is who will line up alongside Luis Alberto in the attacking midfielder position. While Isaksen was Tudor’s go-to solution in the Coppa Italia defeat to Juventus, two alternatives have emerged. The first is Pedro whose experience can always come in handy in Derby clashes.
The other is Daichi Kamada who featured as a central midfielder last weekend, but could be set for a more attacking role. If the Japanese were to get the nod as an attacking midfielder, Danilo Cataldi and Mateo Guendouzi would likely fill in the double pivot.
