Genoa vs Fiorentina preview - Montella calls for focus

Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Montella hopes the departure of Juan Cuadrado will not distract his team from taking three points at Genoa on Saturday.

Montella announced ahead of his team's trip to Liguria that the Viola had sold Cuadrado to Chelsea pending a medical.

As part of the deal that will see the Colombian winger move to Stamford Bridge, Chelsea's out-of-favour forward Mohamed Salah is set to join the Florence outfit on loan.

"We cannot be distracted or use this as an excuse," Montella told the Italian media on Friday. "This is part of football and it's happened.

"I'm sure Cuadrado would have played tomorrow if he could have but it was not possible."

Montella had hoped to keep Cuadrado at least until the end of the season but admitted Chelsea made an offer to both the Viola and to the player that neither could refuse.

"I like to be honest and this had to be done, " he said. "As a coach I am saddened but when a player is paid so much, the club has done the right thing.

"I'm happy for Cuadrado because he is going to a top club.

"In his place, we get Salah, a player who is similar to Cuadrado but who will have to adapt to Italian football.

"I don't know how long that will take."

Cuadrado, who had been a regular in Montella's side since arriving to Florence in 2012 from Udinese, has scored four goals and set up four more in 17 league appearances to help the Viola climb to sixth in Serie A.

His last appearance was in last weekend's 1-1 draw against Roma.

Fiorentina have collected seven points of a possible nine in their last three games.

Rivals Genoa have not won since December 7 and face a stern test against a Viola side that has won four of its last five away games.

Last weekend's 2-1 defeat at Napoli dropped the Grifoni one place and three points adrift of Saturday's opponents.

Genoa have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last six league games, giving away 13 goals in the process.

Genoa coach Gian Piero Gasperini will be without defender Luca Antonelli and midfielder Andrea Bertolacci, both suspended.

Fiorentina defender Stefan Savic and midfielder David Pizarro have remained in Florence with both players serving a one-match ban this weekend.

New Fiorentina signing Alberto Gilardino will start on the bench against his former club.