Hellas Verona vs Empoli preview - Toni targets Tevez's 20

Luca Toni will lead Hellas Verona's attack in Sunday's home game against Empoli with the 37-year-old hoping boost his bid to finish as the top scorer in Serie A this season.

The Italian veteran forward has struck 19 goals to help Hellas defend their Serie A status and is only one shy of Carlos Tevez of Juventus, who leads the scoring charts with 20.

"We will do all that we can to help Toni finish as the capocannoniere (highest scorer in Serie A) this season," Hellas coach Andrea Mandorlini said to Gazzetta dello Sport.

Toni won the award by scoring 31 goals for Fiorentina in the 2005-06 campaign - the most goals in a single Serie A campaign in 48 years.

Two years later, the 2006 World Cup winner finished as the top scorer in the Bundesliga with 24 goals for Bayern Munich.

The former Italy international came close last season when he finished in second place with 20 goals, two less than Torino's Ciro Immobile.

"I'm happy to have scored 19 goals and to be in the race to clinch the capocannoniere title," Toni said. "The most important thing is that my goals are useful to help Hellas win."

Toni struck in his team's 2-2 draw at Chievo in last weekend's derby.

Hellas, coached by Andrea Mandorlini, are in the midst of a three-match winless run and are 14th in the standings.

Empoli have won just twice on the road this season and are in 15th place - level on 41 points with Hellas.

The Tuscan outfit saw a four-match unbeaten run halted with last weekend's 3-2 defeat against Fiorentina.

Empoli will be bolstered by the return of Mario Rui from suspension.

The hosts are without the services of midfield pair Bosko Jankovic and Panagiotis Tachtsidis, who are both suspended.