Lazio vs Cesena preview - Lazio down to the bare bones

Lazio must overcome an injury crisis if they are to continue a long unbeaten streak at home when they take on relegation-threatened Cesena.

The Roman club have not lost at home since November 26, helping them to fourth in the table, but coach Edy Reja will have to do without 10 players at the Stadio Olimpico.

In last weekend's 3-2 defeat at Genoa, a match played despite cold, inclement weather, Lazio had three players join the list of walking wounded.

The Biancoceleste lost captain Tommaso Rocchi to a thigh strain for three weeks while defender Marius Stankevicius and midfielder Hernanes were also hurt.

The injury list also includes defender Andre Dias, midfielders Christian Brocchi, Lorik Cana, Stefano Mauri and Emiliano Alfaro as well as striker Libor Kozak.

"We are not in the best condition," Reja said. "The game at Genoa looked more like ice-skating.

"It should have been postponed but instead we went home with no points despite playing better than our rivals, and with three injured players.

"We hope things will get better.

"From an injury standpoint, I have never seen anything like it."

To complicate matters for Reja, defender Mobido Diakite must begin serving his two-match ban on Thursday.

Reja is confident his squad will rise to the occasion.

"My team never gives up," he said. "We give everything up to the last second."

Unlike Lazio, rivals Cesena go into the encounter fully rested after their home game against Catania last Saturday was postponed due to heavy snow.

Cesena, who held Napoli to a goalless draw last time out, have won just one of their last seven games and lie 19th in the standings, four points behind safety.

Cesena coach Daniele Arrigoni will hand striker Vincenzo Iaquinta his debut.

Iaquinta joined Cesena last month from Juventus and will partner Adrian Mutu in attack.