Andrea Pirlo must have felt an enormous sense of relief after Wednesday’s victory against Napoli.
The young manager could have been sacked in light of a negative result, but luckily, strikes from Cristiano Ronaldo and the returning Paulo Dybala were enough to save his head.
However, the 41-year-old has immediately shift his focus towards Genoa, as anything less than a victory on Sunday would put him back on thin ice.
Whilst Leonardo Bonucci and Federico Bernardeschi remain absent due to positive Covid-19 tests, Tuttosport (via ilBianconero) expects Wojciech Szczesny to return between the posts.
The Polish goalkeeper had a poor performance last weekend in the derby, and was therefore dropped for the crucial Napoli clash in favor of Gianluigi Buffon.
In defense, Giorgio Chiellini and Merih Demiral are still the favorites to start, even though Merih Demiral – who recently finished his quarantine period – could challenge the captain for a starting spot.
After playing as winger on Wednesday, Juan Cuadrado should once again be deployed at right back, whilst former Porto men Danilo and Alex Sandro compete for the opposing fullback slot.
For the double pivot roles, two of Adrien Rabiot, Rodrigo Bentancur and Arthur will be in line to start against the Grifone.
Weston McKennie should mark his return to the starting lineup, as he is expected to play on the right wing, supported by Cuadrado from the back.
On the other hand, Federico Chiesa has become au automatic starter, as he will be deployed as a left winger.
Alvaro Morata could be the favorite to start alongside Ronaldo in attack, but Dybala’s solid cameo on Wednesday could encourage Pirlo to hand him a starting berth.
