Udinese-Cagliari take to the pitch Saturday at 3pm – LIVE COVERAGE
MATCH EVE
A troubled week following last Sunday's incident, which resulted in his licence being confiscated and sparked further controversy. But Daniel Maldini will be there for the match against Udinese. Cagliari manager Fabio Pisacane has seen him calm and focused throughout these difficult days. He neither guarantees nor announces a starting place – though that applies to everyone. Nevertheless, he has only warm words of praise and encouragement for him: "He deserves a call-up to the national team," Pisacane said on the eve of the Friuli fixture. "He's outstanding even in training. Honestly, I didn't expect him to be this good."
The topic of the day, alongside Maldini, is also the possibility of naming an unchanged starting eleven for the fifth consecutive time. Here too, the rossoblù manager is keeping his cards close to his chest.
He suggests that situations change from week to week and that there are still individual fitness conditions to assess, hinting at a few knocks. But all signs point to the idea that, after three wins in four matches, the right call could well be "never change a winning team."
"I don't chase 'magic solutions'," he said. "For any given match, many factors are taken into consideration. At the back, Deiola and Rodriguez have been doing very well. Mina? He is a technical and charismatic asset for the squad." And that is precisely the crux of the matter: the Colombian is ready. In what promises to be a highly physical match, he could be the right man. However, his return would mean either dropping Deiola or moving him into midfield – into a midfield unit that is currently functioning extremely well and appears untouchable.
Regarding Udinese, Pisacane explained that the table should not be taken at face value: "Last season too they had started this way, but we're talking about a side with great quality that sits just below the group that regularly battles for a European spot. It's up to us to do our part and make the most of our potential."
"We are following a certain path, we have had good moments during the matches, but honestly I would have preferred to have 2-3 more points." This was said by Kosta Runjaic on the eve of Udinese's home fixture against Cagliari. The Friulian coach underlined the importance of the match, describing it as "one of those very important games in the season" for his team. The encounter could see Nicolò Zaniolo return to the pitch, having resumed training with the group. On the question of deploying Zaniolo, the coach explained that "we have not made a final decision on his use, we still need to think about it tonight whether he will play from the first minute or from the bench." The player "feels very well" and has completed "a couple of full training sessions," but managing risk is fundamental after his spell on the sidelines. "It would be nice to see him tomorrow against Cagliari," he added, reiterating how his presence makes the team "stronger" thanks to his qualities and knowledge of Serie A. The clash with Cagliari, already on 9 points in the table, promises to be tactically different compared to the Inter match. "I don't think Cagliari will press us in the same way, but they attack very well on the counter and run a lot," the coach warned. He then reiterated the need to improve and extend the "good moments" throughout all 90 minutes, in a league where every match is a significant test. While Zaniolo will be available, Zanoli's situation is still evolving, as he too is coming back from a long cruciate ligament injury. For the attacking midfield role, Udinese can count on several alternatives, including "Chakvetadze and a couple of other options." The coach praised the new signing for his strong cameo against Inter, while urging Unai Gomez "to show more intensity and dribbling on the pitch."
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