Palermo welcome Lazio to the Stadio Renzo Barbera on Sunday evening looking to halt a ten-game winless stretch in Serie A.
The Rosanero have been plunged into the relegation zone amid uncertainty over the coaching position and owner Maurizio Zamparini’s assertion that he will sell the club at the end of the season.
Walter Novellino succeeded Giuseppe Iachini last month but is yet to register his first victory in the Palermo dugout.
Last weekend’s 3-1 defeat to Chievo was the latest blow to their hopes of survival while the Sicilian outfit face a showdown with fellow strugglers Frosinone in a few weeks time.
Meanwhile, Lazio are in the midst of a crisis of their own, with coach Stefano Pioli relieved of his duties following last weekend’s harrowing 4-1 Derby della Capitale defeat.
Simone Inzaghi has been promoted from his primavera duties with a European place seemingly unattainable for the Biancocelesti.
The club sit seven points adrift of AC Milan in sixth place and have Chievo breathing down their necks after a run of form that has yielded just one victory in their last seven outings in all competitions.
Pressure began to mount on Pioli when the Aquile were unceremoniously dumped out of the Europa League by Sparta Prague after a damning 3-0 home defeat in the second leg of the tie last month.
Lazio boast the superior head-to-head record between these two sides but were held at the Stadio Olimpico by the Rosanero in the reverse fixture last November.
Novellino will be without the creative influence of Franco Vazquez for the visit of the Biancocelesti and will also be dented by the absences of Robin Quaison, Eduardo Goldaniga and Aljaz Struna.
Meanwhile, the visitors will be without Wesley Hoedt after his dismissal against Roma last time out.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Ricardo Kishna, Stefan Radu will also miss out due to injury.
Form Guide: Palermo (D-L-L-D-L) Lazio (D-W-L-D-L)
Expected Starting XIs
Palermo: Sorrentino; Vitiello, Gonzalez, Andelkovic, Pezzella; Morganella, Hiljemark, Jajalo, Lazaar; Gilardino, Djurdjevic.
Lazio: Marchetti; Patric, Bisevac, Gentiletti, Lulic; Onazi, Biglia, Parolo; Felipe Anderson, Klose, Candreva.
Infographic Source: www.sporticos.com
