Quagliarella to start for Juve

Posted Sunday, April 08, 2012 by Supersport.com

Juventus striker Fabio Quagliarella will start the game at Palermo, coach Antonio Conte told a news conference as he rotates his forwards to keep them fresh for the title run-in.

Palermo have four players suspended with Federico Balzaretti and Matias Silvestre unlikely to be fit.

Leaders AC Milan, two points ahead of Juve with eight games left, are again without injury-prone striker Alexandre Pato while Thiago Silva and Mark van Bommel are also still out for the visit of Fiorentina.

Forward Antonio Cassano has been given the all-clear by doctors to start playing again after heart problems but is unlikely to feature just yet. Gennaro Gattuso, out for months with an eye problem, is knocking on the door.

Cassano told Studio Sport: "I am ready to return, maybe even on Saturday against Fiorentina. I was scared I would die and once that passed I thought I'd have to quit football."

Lazio host Napoli in a key battle for third spot. Both sides have important absentees with striker Miroslav Klose still not fit for the Romans and possibly out for the season while Walter Gargano and Juan Zuniga are suspended for the visitors.

Seventh-placed Inter Milan, who still harbour outside hopes of grabbing third and the Champions League qualifying round berth, visit Cagliari in the north eastern city of Trisste because of problems with the Sardinians' stadium.

Fredy Guarin could be handed a start in the midfield in Andrea Stramaccioni's first away game in charge of Inter.

AS Roma, in sixth, travel to third-bottom Lecce with coach Luis Enrique reckoning it could be a "very important" game in the race for third.

"I am worried by the quality of the oppoents, they are a team that needs to win," he told a news conference.