Frosinone’s encouraging start to the Serie A season will be tested by a shortage of centre-forwards when Massimiliano Alvini takes his side to Napoli on Saturday night. Daniel Birligea’s injury on international duty has removed a leading candidate for the starting line-up, adding to the absence of Antonio Raimondo.
Key takeaways
- Daniel Birligea has suffered a lesion to the intermediate vastus muscle in his left quadriceps while with Romania.
- The 26-year-old is expected to be unavailable for at least two weeks, although his recovery will depend on his response to treatment.
- Antonio Raimondo is also sidelined after being injured with Italy Under-21s, but is expected to return for the home match against Sassuolo on the 16th.
- Tomas Bobcek is now likely to lead the line at Napoli despite having made only one league appearance so far.
- Frosinone have collected 10 points from five matches, with three wins, one draw and only the opening defeat to Juventus.
Alvini must alter his plans again
Birligea returned to Frosinone after Romania’s defeat in Poland and underwent medical examinations, which confirmed the quadriceps problem. His absence is particularly awkward for Alvini because the Romanian forward had been in contention to begin the match at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
With Raimondo already out, the coach must find another solution in a week shaped by international commitments. Alvini, who is due to attend the Trento festival on Sunday, will have limited time to prepare his attacking department before the trip south.
Bobcek appears the most likely replacement. The 25-year-old will represent Slovakia in Moldova on Tuesday evening and is not due back with the club until Thursday, leaving only two days before the Napoli fixture. His limited league involvement makes the possible opportunity a significant moment in Frosinone’s early-season campaign.
A squad returning with confidence
There was better news from the Italy Under-21 group, whose players are set to rejoin the squad after their convincing win over Poland. Goalkeeper Lorenzo Palmisani returns among them following a strong performance in Frosinone’s last outing before the break.
Palmisani was central to the 2-0 victory against Como, producing a series of saves that protected a result which has given greater weight to Frosinone’s opening run. The club have beaten Venezia, Fiorentina and Como, drawn with Genoa and lost only to Juventus in the first round of matches.
That sequence has made Frosinone one of the early stories of the championship. At Napoli, however, the task is no longer simply to sustain the momentum: it is to do so with Alvini forced to reshape the forward line once more.
