Palermo vs Lazio preview - Edy hopes for Reja of light

Lazio travel to Palermo with coach Edy Reja looking for answers after their Europa League setback against Atletico Madrid on Thursday night.

The Italian team were no match for the Primera Division outfit and fell 3-1 at home in the first leg of their last-32 tie, leaving Reja's side with a mountain to climb to turn things around in Madrid next week.

"Atletico deserved to win," Reja said. "They were in better condition than us and they showed it.

"We will try to overturn the result but it will be very difficult. I hope to recover some players for that game.

"Right now my main concern is who to field for the game at Palermo with so many players out injured and suspended."

The Romans will be without defensive pair Mobido Diakite and Abdoulay Konko, both serving one-match bans.

To complicate matters, defender Giuseppe Biava is out with a muscular injury and joins defender Andre Dias, midfielders Christian Brocchi, Lorik Cana, Stefano Mauri and Emiliano Alfaro as well as striker Tommaso Rocchi on the sidelines.

Lazio are third in the standings, one point clear of Udinese after last week's 3-2 triumph at Cesena.

Rivals Palermo will be bolstered by the return of their top scorer Fabrizio Miccoli for the game at La Favorita.

Miccoli, who has struck 10 times for the Rosaneri, missed last weekend's 2-1 defeat at Cagliari with a muscular injury.

The result in Sardinia dropped Palermo to eighth in the standings.

"We do better when Miccoli plays," midfielder Giulio Migliaccio said. "He is our point of reference in attack.

"It's great to have him back for the game against Lazio, which will be a difficult one for us."