Gian Piero Gasperini previewed the clash with Inter earlier today: “We have had just five rounds, but the values are already pretty clear. The Nerazzurri, Milan, and Napoli have something more than the others. It is pointless to think that we are among the contenders. We are in the same echelon of Fiorentina and Torino. Juventus will have the opportunity to come back. Clearly, we will try to improve and hope that somebody slips up. We will look at the standings later on. It will be a very hard-fought season as every team got better.”
“We hope Luis Muriel will be back on the bench against Young Boys. Matteo Pessina is nursing a knock, but he might be able to recover.”
Gasperini confirmed that Inter inquired about Duvan Zapata in the summer: “The transfer market concerned several players this summer. He is a great guy. We know there could be some interest, but then it takes a lot for things to really materialize. He never showed any indolence, and he is very attached to this team. He worked hard at the start of the season. You know which deals went through or did not.”
Gasperini concluded: “We will be deeper when Muriel recuperates, and he will be an alternative to Zapata. I like to use Josip Ilicic off the bench, and he was deciding in Salerno. I have already rotated a lot. Davide Zappacosta and Pessina did not feature last weekend. The five subs allow you to use a player for 60-70 minutes, which is not too tiresome. It is a massive change, and they are less fatigued now. The real issues of the busy schedule are injuries and recharging the mental energies. The big games and the Champions League ones weigh more in that regard.”