Udinese arrive at Saturday’s meeting with Cagliari carrying two different pressures: the need to halt a defensive slide and the welcome return of Nicolò Zaniolo, whose recovery gives Kosta Runjaic another attacking option at a delicate point in the season.
Udinese welcome Zaniolo back for Cagliari test
SEO Title: Udinese receive Zaniolo boost ahead of Cagliari at Bluenergy Stadium
SEO Description: Nicolò Zaniolo is back in Udinese group training and can feature against Cagliari, as Kosta Runjaic seeks a response after heavy defeats to Lazio and Inter.
Zaniolo has resumed full training and is expected to be available when Cagliari visit the Bluenergy Stadium at 15:00 on Saturday. He will not be ready to complete the full match, but even a controlled appearance would matter to a side looking to rediscover the attacking fluency shown in its opening fixtures.
The number 10 had been sidelined by a muscle injury to his right hamstring, suffered after the 1-1 home draw with Como. His absence came just as Udinese were trying to establish their rhythm, and Runjaic now has the chance to bring him back into a forward unit that has scored eight goals despite an unusual detail: centre-forward Keinan Davis has not scored any of them.
Davis has instead contributed as a creator, while the goals have been shared throughout the squad. Jurgen Ekkelenkamp and wing-back Hassane Kamara have each struck twice; Ekkelenkamp had scored five times across the previous league campaign. Iker Bravo Gueye, defender James Abankwah, and midfielders Jesper Karlstrom and Jakub Piotrowski have supplied the remaining goals. The spread is encouraging, but Udinese would benefit from a more decisive contribution from Davis and, as he regains fitness, Zaniolo.
The larger concern lies at the other end. Consecutive defeats to Lazio at home and Inter at San Siro brought seven goals conceded, taking the total to 10 after four league matches. Runjaic had set an ambition of keeping the season’s defensive tally below 38, and the recent run has exposed the distance still to travel.
Concentration lapses have been costly, while Enzo Ebosse has endured several difficult moments. The defensive group will receive further reinforcement only after the international break, with Oumar Solet and Matteo Palma not expected back until the middle of October. Until then, Saturday’s match is an opportunity to show that the defeats to Lazio and Inter were a setback rather than a pattern.
The occasion will also carry a wider meaning beyond the result. The Cagliari fixture has been designated Serie A’s first match wholly devoted to sustainability under UEFA guidelines. A 400-person bike ride will leave Piazza Primo Maggio for the stadium, where supervised bicycle parking will be available, while supporters are being encouraged to use the strengthened number 9 bus service.
For Udinese, though, the central task remains on the pitch. A positive result would ease the unease created by the last two Sundays and allow Zaniolo’s return to become more than a fitness update: it could be the beginning of a needed reset for Runjaic’s side.
