Lazio’s short week at Formello has begun with a useful return from the treatment room, even as Gennaro Gattuso manages a squad still shaped by absences. Matteo Cancellieri trained with the group again after a month out, giving the coach another attacking option ahead of the next league fixture.
A welcome return in a compressed week
- Gattuso gave his players Monday off after Sunday night’s demanding match in Turin against Juventus.
- Training resumed on Tuesday morning at Formello, with only three sessions, including the final workout, remaining before the next Serie A round.
- Cancellieri completed the session alongside his team-mates, ending an absence caused by a serious cut around his right kneecap.
The winger had been in line to occupy the right side of Lazio’s front three before his injury. His fitness had made him a preferred option while Gustav Isaksen was working to recover his best level after missing much of pre-season following surgery for pubalgia.
Cancellieri’s setback came during the break after the Venezia match, when a heavy fall in Ibiza left him requiring around 15 stitches. Gattuso had not hidden his frustration before the Monza game, saying the player had “done something serious”. A month later, however, Cancellieri is available once more.
Isaksen has changed the competition
The timing of Cancellieri’s recovery gives Gattuso a selection issue rather than a simple replacement. Isaksen has scored twice across Lazio’s past two matches and has looked sharper after his recent work with Denmark, where international duty provided a useful step towards his current form.
That run makes it difficult to remove the Danish forward immediately. Cancellieri’s value may instead lie in restoring depth to an attacking unit that had been left with limited alternatives, particularly after Albert Gudmundsson’s own injury problem.
The Iceland international has undergone further scans on his shoulder. He is expected to start running separately in the coming days after a period with his left arm immobilised in a brace. His individual programme is designed to keep him away from accidental contact while he progresses through his recovery.
Marusic and Rovella nearing the squad
Gattuso could also have further reinforcements soon, although the club will continue to assess Adam Marusic and Nicolò Rovella day by day.
- Marusic suffered a serious muscle injury at Bologna and then had to slow his return after a minor recurrence before the Monza match.
- His comeback is now more likely to arrive in the midweek meeting with Sassuolo than in the immediate fixture.
- Rovella was injured against Genoa a week after Marusic’s initial problem and has been out for 50 days with a calf strain.
- The midfielder could target a place in the squad against Parma, even if that first call-up would chiefly mark the end of a long spell on the sidelines.
There was better news regarding Taylor, whose condition is not causing concern. He had taken a heavy blow to the thigh and left the Juventus match limping, but there is no significant alarm over his availability.
For Gattuso, the coming days are about maintaining the energy of those who have carried Lazio through recent matches while gradually bringing back players who have spent too long outside the group. Cancellieri’s return is the first visible step in that process.
