Sassuolo will be aiming for a third win in a row while Udinese will be trying to avoid a third consecutive defeat when the two sides meet at the Stadio Friuli on Sunday afternoon in Serie A.
The travelling Zebrette come off the back off a 2-1 defeat away to Roma despite having taken the lead in that game and are likely to be without captain Antonio Di Natale who has scored 14 goals this season.
The veteran forward’s goal tally has been one of the few high points for Andrea Stramaccioni’s men this season and without that fire-power they have found themselves lower the the 16th position they currently occupy in the table.
The hosts are just two points ahead of their opponents but should be happy with consolidating their place in the league for the second season since getting promoted from Serie B.
The Neroverdi also have their own 14-goal forward in Domenico Berardi following his hat-trick against AC Milan last week, and coincidentally his team-mate Simone Zaza and Udinese’s Cyril Thereau are also level on goals scored with nine.
Sassuolo have yet to beat their opponents in three previous meetings with Udinese winning two and one ending in a draw.
That draw came this season when goals from Zaza and Thereau saw the game at the Mapei Stadium end 1-1.
Stramaccioni will be without the suspended Thomas Heurtaux and injured quartet Lucas Evangelista, Molla Wague, Melker Hallberg and Di Natale.
Eusebio Di Francesco on the other hand is missing Simone Missiroli through suspension and has a fairly long injury list that includes the likes of Marcello Gazzola, Emanuele Terranova, Luca Antei and Sime Vrsaljko.
Form Guide: Udinese (D-W-L-W-L-L), Sassuolo (D-L-L-D-W-W)
Expected Starting XIs
Udinese: Karnezis; Piris, Domizzi, Danilo, Widmer; Badu, Pinzi, Allan, Guilherme; Perica, Thereau
Sassuolo: Consigli; Peluso, Cannavaro, Acerbi, Fontanesi; Taider, Magnanelli, Biondini; Sansone, Zaza, Berardi
