Olivera back in full training two days before Napoli face

Olivera back in full training two days before Napoli face Lazio

Training with the group is not enough to make the number 17 available on Sunday. Napoli take on the league leaders with no fit full-backs, after the 4-1 at Porto.

by Gennaro SanninoFriday 6 November, 21:22 CET· 6 hours ago

Mathías Olivera — Foto: Agencia de Noticias ANDES · CC BY-SA 2.0

Mathías Olivera has trained with the squad. It is the first real sign of progress for the number 17. At the start of November his injury was expected to keep him out for about a month, with a return pencilled in for the away game at Sassuolo on 29 November.

For now, nothing changes for Sunday. Olivera was on the list of unavailable players for Napoli-Lazio at the Maradona, kick-off 12:30 CET (11:30 UK, 06:30 ET). One session with the group is not enough to take him off it. At Porto, Allegri played a 3-5-2 with no recognised full-backs, using Politano and Lang as wing-backs. Di Lorenzo is out with a tear in his left adductor longus, and Spinazzola and Favasuli are still sidelined.

Napoli come into the game after the 2-0 in Turin and the 4-1 at the Dragão. They have 14 points, half the leaders' 28. The squad goes into its pre-match retreat at the Gli Dei hotel in Pozzuoli at 19:00 on Friday 6 November. That is where it will become clear whether Olivera can play against Lazio or whether his return stays set for the end of the month.