Allegri set to rotate for Wednesday's trip to Monza

With Juventus and Porto following in quick succession, Napoli may field a changed side at the U-Power Stadium. Capodichino airport is closed, so the squad would then stay in Piedmont to train before flying to Portugal.

by Gennaro SanninoMonday 26 October, 12:10 CET· 2 hours ago

Massimiliano Allegri — Foto: Original: Quirinale / Derivative work: Danyele · Attribution

Napoli face Monza on Wednesday 28 October at 20:45 CET (19:45 UK, 14:45 ET) at the U-Power Stadium, and head coach Allegri is expected to change the side that played Roma. The fixture list is the reason. Juventus come on Sunday 1 November, then Porto on Wednesday 4 November at 21:00 at the Estádio do Dragão. Monza is the game where Allegri can afford to rest some players. For now this is pre-match speculation: the real choices will only be known when the official line-ups are released.

There is also a logistical detail. After Juventus-Napoli the squad would not return home, because Capodichino, the Naples airport, would remain closed. They would stay in Piedmont to train, with Turin the likeliest base before leaving for Portugal.

Rotation is not a luxury

Saying you will rotate is easy. Doing it without paying for it is harder. Napoli come off a 3-3 draw with Roma after leading 2-0, and sit tenth with 11 points after eight games. Monza are not a side to take lightly: they have 7 points and arrive from a 3-2 game in Turin. Badiashile is in the treatment room and will miss both Juventus and Porto, while Di Lorenzo, who has a bruised knee, is awaiting assessment. Rotating is understandable, but our question is different: with the table as it is, can Napoli afford to arrive at Monza with half a team already picked for Turin?