Catania-Benevento, probable lineups: Improta and Ciciretti out

TO Catania with only one goal: to win. The Benevento he doesn’t budge from his intentions, even if that means coming into play later in the playoffs. Second place remains a possible goal, even if the Giallorossi will no longer be the architects of their own destiny: if Avellino beat Crotone at home, a blitz at the «Massimino» would not be enough. The “wolves” are in fact ahead both in head-to-head matches (having won both the first leg and the second leg) and in goal difference (which would have been relevant only in the case of a further draw in the double header, +32 against +13).

Auteri will have to do without even more Improta And Ciciretti, but in all likelihood it will also lose Terranova and Pinato for the last act. The former Reggina, Frosinone and Sassuolo central defender stopped due to a sprained ankle during yesterday morning’s session: he left the pitch prematurely due to severe pain in the limb, which initially did not even appear too swollen, in following a fight with a friend. This morning he will undergo further medical tests and then we’ll see, but his recovery appears highly unlikely for Saturday’s match in Sicily. The same goes for Pinato, who underwent an ultrasound yesterday evening due to a hardening of the twin calf suffered during Tuesday’s open-door match. Yesterday morning for him only work in the gym while waiting to undergo the instrumental exam which will have to certify the nature of the muscular discomfort.

Even in his case, taking risks is useless, as will happen for Improta (who is still undergoing physiotherapy and differentiated work in the morning and therapies in the afternoon at the «Relax» centre) and Ciciretti (even yesterday he worked mainly in the gym and did a little something on the field, but always under the watchful eye of the re-athlete player Adriano Bianchini), who will not get on the bus that will take the team to Rome on Friday lunchtime, nor on the plane that will transfer them from the capital to Catania in the afternoon. Therefore, a trip to Trinacria with four men less is looming: the coach is thinking about some new things and started training tests yesterday.

Probably without Pinato you give up the attacking midfielder to return to the three attackers in line. Cyan after the goal and the assist against Latina he is a candidate for a shirt. He seems to be confirming Ferrante while Lanini should complete the attack. Some chances also for Starita and Bolsius. Further back Marotta and Carfora. On defense without Newfoundland there aren’t many alternatives, with Capellini who will be forced to work overtime despite the pending warning. The young Viscardi could have a chance, but Auteri, with the exception of just one circumstance (his debut on the bench with Turris at «Vigorito»), has always lined up from fifth in the match in progress. A very remote hypothesis (not to say excluded) is the inclusion of Meccariello among the starters, who has not yet accumulated playing time in the month and a half that he has been available again.

It could fifth touch again to Berra And Pastina in the starting eleven. One of them in midfield Talia And Nardi can observe a rest shift, to the advantage of those who have so far been employed almost nothing like Agazzibut the possibility that Karic could be on the pitch from the start also remains open.

The latter is also in contention for the role of right winger: if it hadn’t been for a strong dysentery which put him out of action on Sunday (he didn’t even go to the bench), against Latina he would have been fielded from the first minute in that position, with Simonetti diverted to the left-handed side (Masciangelo would have been excluded). Today new morning session at «Imbriani», Auteri’s pre-match conference at 1pm, brought forward by a day. At «Massimino» Emanuele Frascaro from Florence referees, with whom the Giallorossi have already won in Sicily (1-0 in Messina on 5 November 2023), while Catania lost at home to Avellino (0-2).

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