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Serie A - Gattuso: 'I really can’t see women in football'
Gennaro Gattuso demanded “more respect” for Adriano Galliani and slammed new Milan chief Barbara Berlusconi.
FootballItalia – Dec 4, 2013
The former Rossoneri midfielder, who started the season as Palermo Coach before being sacked, told Radio Radio about the recent controversy.
Galliani will remain as CEO of Milan, but share the position with Barbara Berlusconi, the daughter of former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi.
“I think someone like Galliani deserves more respect for everything he has done and how in all these years he steered the club to positive results.
“I don’t want to say this, but I really can’t see women in football,” added Gattuso.
‘Rino’ was also asked to comment on the Scudetto race now that Juventus have moved three points clear of Roma.
“Juve remain Juve and are the team to beat, though Roma are achieving remarkable things. Juventus have a remarkable group and a unity that shows how much they want to win. Even in the most recent game against Udinese, they never gave up and pushed to score in the last minutes.”
Serie A leaders Juventus will look for Fernando Llorente to continue his recent purple patch in Friday's visit to Bologna.
The Turin outfit - who have won the last two Serie A titles - head into the fixture at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara on a run of six straight league victories, a streak that has taken them three points clear of second-placed Roma.
Juve's latest success came in a 1-0 triumph over Udinese on Sunday, with Spain international Llorente notching the only goal of the game in second-half injury time.
The 28-year-old joined Antonio Conte's side from Athletic Bilbao in the close-season and initially struggled for form, but now appears to have found his rhythm having registered in Juve's last three league games.
The champions have dropped only five points in Serie A this campaign, tasting defeat just once in 14 games in a 4-2 setback to Fiorentina on October 20.
But Conte was dealt a blow before the showdown with Stefano Pioli's men, with the news playmaker Andrea Pirlo is set for an indefinite spell on the sidelines with a knee ligament injury.
However, despite the injury to the Italy international, centre-back Andrea Barzagli is confident the squad has enough depth to cover the midfield maestro's absence.
"Andrea is important to us," he said at the club's ceremony for the Castagna d'Oro, an award given to the fans' player of the year and won by Arturo Vidal for 2012-13.
"He is one of the best players in the world and gives us a lot of experience.
"Admittedly there is no one else quite like him, but we are still a great team and we will try to impose our game on the opposition without him."
In contrast to Juventus' flying start, Bologna languish in 17th position and suffered the ignominy of being knocked out of the Coppa Italia by Serie B outfit Siena on Tuesday.
Only newly promoted Sassuolo have conceded more than their 26 goals in 14 outings, and they have not beaten Juve at home in their last nine attempts.
Pioli's team are also on a four-game run without victory in Serie A, and have won just two of their last 15 top-flight fixtures.
Gattuso slams Barbara Berlusconi by claiming 'there's no place for women in football'
By BRIAN HOMEWOOD, REUTERS PUBLISHED: 23:13 GMT, 4 December 2013 | UPDATED: 23:13 GMT, 4 December 2013
Former AC Milan and Italy midfielder Gennaro Gattuso cannot see a place for women in football, he said on Wednesday. The hard-tackling midfielder was commenting on the recent turmoil at Milan, where Adriano Galliani has agreed to share his chief executive role with Barbara Berlusconi, the daughter of club president Silvio Berlusconi. 'I think that for someone like Galliani there should be more respect,' he told the Radio Radio station in an interview.
Not P.C! Gennaro Gattuso played with distinction for AC Milan but doesn't agree with women in football
Girl power: Barbara Berlusconi has been made chief executive at AC Milan by her father and former PM Silvio
'I can't really see women in football, I don't like to say it but that's how it is.' Galliani, who has been at the club for 27 years, threatened to resign last week, apparently unhappy at comments by Barbara Berlusconi that the club needed a new philosophy. World Cup winner Gattuso ended his playing days last season with FC Sion in Switzerland. He had a spell as player-coach but was relieved of his coaching duties after only 11 league games. He was appointed coach of Serie B side Palermo this season but was fired after only six matches.
Unhappy: AC Milan's vice-president Adriano Galliani almost resigned after alleged comments from Miss Berlusconi
Golden boy Pogba must keep his head down, says Conte
Thursday, 5 December 2013 8:43 PM
The French midfielder won the prize - voted for by sports journalists and awarded to the outstanding under-21 player in Europe - on Wednesday following a string of impressive performances for club and country, which include four goals in 14 Serie A outings this season.
But Conte feels former Manchester United youngster Pogba has the potential to reach an even higher standard and implored him not to lose focus.
"I’m happy for Paul Pogba's Golden Boy award," he said. "He’s got all the potential to reach the very top.
"In the space of a year and a half, Pogba has developed in an exceptional way. Credit to him.
"As a club we've always believed in Pogba and he knows he has to keep his head down and continue to work hard."
Juve, who currently sit top of the Italian top flight, take on Bologna on Friday, and Conte is solely concentrated on leading his side to maximum points.
"Bologna's a difficult game," he continued. "We need to think exclusively about that match and put anything else to the back of our minds.
"I will look to play the most appropriate team available to me at this moment, with one objective in mind - winning.
"There are many factors that will come into play when I choose my team tomorrow. I hope I they give me the response I'm looking for.
"It’s an important moment of the season and we’ll remain focused on our task."
Juventus cemented their place at the top of Serie A with a 2-0 win at Bologna on Friday.
Antonio Conte's men went into the clash three points ahead of Roma at the summit following a run of six straight league wins.
The defending champions have not tasted defeat in Bologna since 1998, and made sure of another three points at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara with a highly professional performance.
Midfielder Arturo Vidal opened the scoring in the early stages with a close-range effort as Juve dictated the first half.
Bologna did threaten sporadically after the interval, but their hopes of taking a share of the spoils were killed off when Giorgio Chiellini struck in the final minute of normal time.
Juventus made six changes to the side that overcame Udinese last time out, with Paul Pogba, Mirko Vucinic and Fabio Quagliarella among those recalled in place of Andrea Pirlo, Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente.
There were two alterations to the Bologna team that drew with Parma in their previous league encounter, one of which saw Andrea Mantovani replace the suspended Frederik Sorensen in defence.
The visitors dictated play during the early stages and deservedly took the lead after 12 minutes, Vidal latching on to Federico Peluso's ball over the top to volley home moments after Claudio Marchisio had seen a goalbound effort cleared following another sparkling Juve move.
Conte's men looked to kill off the game and came close to a second five minutes later when Quagliarella had an effort deflected wide.
Attacking midfielder Alessandro Diamanti twice tested Buffon from range as Bologna looked to find a way back before half-time, but Juve's defence was rarely troubled.
Juventus began the second half with renewed energy and came close to doubling their advantage just after the break when Marchisio curled wide from a tight angle.
Bologna struggled to find a foothold in the game and goalkeeper Gianluca Curci needed to be at his best when twice pulling off superb saves to deny substitute Llorente.
Curci was beaten for a second time after 67 minutes, but Kwadwo Asamoah was adjudged to have been offside as he collected Llorente's neat throughball.
Despite Juve's clear superiority, Bologna should perhaps have levelled when striker Jonathan Cristaldo fired narrowly wide of the far post following an excellent counter-attack.
Marchisio and Llorente spurned further chances as the game headed to its conclusion, while Archimede Morleo headed over for Bologna.
The game was finally ended as a contest in the dying stages, Chiellini converting at the near post from a Carlos Tevez corner.
Inter will look to extend their unbeaten run in Serie A to eight matches when mid-table Parma visit on Sunday.
The San Siro outfit have not enjoyed such a long run without a league defeat since 2010, when they managed 11 games, and the current spell of good form has lifted them to fourth in the table.
Former Napoli manager Walter Mazzarri has guided his side to a fantastic start to the campaign, having suffered just one defeat in all competitions, and a 19th league title is very much on the club's radar.
Mazzarri's men have drawn their last two Serie A fixtures, though, away to Bologna and at home Sampdoria.
Sunday's result against Sampdoria, which saw Renan Garcia grab a last-gasp leveller for the visitors, prompted Mazzarri to vent his anger, claiming it was the worst Inter performance of the season.
The response from his charges was to produce a 3-2 win in the fourth round of the Coppa Italia against second-tier Trapani on Wednesday.
Goals have been in regular supply for Inter this season, with their 31 strikes in 14 league matches more than any other team has managed.
That is despite them having just one player – Argentinian Rodrigo Palacio with seven – who has scored five league goals or more.
Parma have slipped down the table after a run of just one win in five league matches, though the 1-0 win at Napoli last month underlined their threat.
But recent trips to San Siro have held little cheer for Parma, who have lost the last seven of these fixtures.
Inter are unbeaten in their last 13 home clashes against Parma, with their last defeat coming in May 1999 when the visitors claimed a 3-1 success.
The hosts have a lengthy injury list, with defenders Yuto Nagatomo, Walter Samuel and Cristian Chivu, and attackers Mauro Icardi and Diego Milito set to miss out again.
A calf injury will also keep out midfielder Zdravko Kuzmanovic, while Parma will be hopeful Antonio Cassano features.
Cassano – who left Inter at the end of last term – has been in form, scoring five goals in his last eight appearances, but suffered a nose injury against Bologna last week. If he plays, he is likely to wear a face mask.
Meanwhile, Aleandro Rosi and Walter Gargano will return from suspension for the visitors.
Friday, 06 December 2013, 10:07
DANIELLA MATAR, Associated Press
MILAN (AP) — Juventus and AC Milan players have to put their crunch Champions League ties to the back of their minds when they travel to lowly teams this weekend in the Serie A.
Serie A-leading Juventus visits Bologna before going to Galatasaray, where the winner will advance to the Champions League knockout stage. Milan, 20 points behind Juventus, visits Livorno before hosting Ajax in its final winner-take-all group match. Third-place Napoli, which hosts Arsenal next week in another need-to-win match, plays Udinese at home on Saturday. Here are five things to know about this weekend's Italian league matches.
___
PIRLO DEPENDANT? Juventus will be without key playmaker Andrea Pirlo until 2014 after the Italy international damaged knee ligaments against Udinese. When he left the game, Juventus clearly struggled to create opportunities before snatching a 1-0 win. Antonio Conte's team, which has a three-point lead over Roma at the top of the table, travels to relegation-threatened Bologna on Friday. "(Paul) Pogba can cover that role, and well," Conte said. "He's essentially an inside midfielder and he can show all his talents to the best in that position. But, if necessary, and he works on it, I'm convinced he can be a very good understudy to Pirlo."
Juventus needs a point at Galatasaray next week to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League.
POGBA PRIZE: Paul Pogba has kept on improving since his arrival at Juventus, and this week he won the Golden Boy award for the best under-21 footballer in Europe. The 20-year-old Pogba has impressed since his arrival from Manchester United in 2012 and is also a key part of the France senior squad. "I am happy and proud to have won this prize," Pogba said. "I dedicate it to my family and friends. I thank Manchester United and Juventus for making me grow a lot, but I am no one. I have not done anything. From now I will start trying to win the Ballon d'Or."
INSIPID INTER: Inter Milan hosts Parma in shaky form. It has drawn its past two league games and almost suffered a humiliating cup exit as it nearly let slip a three-goal halftime lead against Serie B side Trapani before winning 3-2. Coach Walter Mazzarri called last week's performance against Sampdoria his worst since taking charge and he was again unhappy after the Italian Cup match. "This game should make us reflect on things," he said. "It's a question of careless moments you can't let happen to you. In the first half we were all focused and did well. Then our concentration dropped. These are things we have to work on. Parma is yet another chance to test ourselves, since we'll be facing a solid and well-organised team. We'll be able to see how the team has digested the negative performance against Sampdoria." Inter remains fourth, 10 points behind Juventus.
ROMA ROLL ON: Roma is still the only unbeaten side in Serie A after a last-minute equaliser rescued a 1-1 draw against Atalanta. But the capital side, which started the season with 10 wins in a row, has drawn its past four games and sits three points behind Juventus in the table. On Sunday, Roma hosts Fiorentina, which beat Hellas Verona 4-3 on Monday in a thrilling match.
"Fiorentina is good to watch, they play well, it's a technical and dangerous team," Roma midfielder Miralem Pjanic said. "We have to be careful but it will be a good match. We're doing well, looking also at how we finished the game against Atalanta, the squad kept pressing. We have desire, but our opponents are starting to learn our talents and defects."
BEST OF BALOTELLI: Mario Balotelli is showing signs of being back to his best after a recent dip in form. The Milan striker scored in the 3-0 Champions League victory over Celtic and the 3-1 Serie A win in Catania. That win saw Milan move up to eighth. "Only in difficult moments do you see real men," Balotelli said. "It is our duty to prove ourselves now. We owe it to ourselves, the club and the Rossoneri fans. "It is a delicate time, but our challenge is to emerge with heads held high and get back to winning ways by always playing up to Milan standards. I want to be the team's leader again. After some mistakes, it is time to score goals, without ever stopping."
The goalkeeper has made it clear that he would do whatever it takes to make his former Liverpool team-mate feel at home if the midfielder were to move to the San Paolo
Pepe Reina says that he would welcome Barcelona defender Javier Mascherano with open arms if the Argentine were to join him at Napoli.
The Serie A club are expected to bolster their defensive ranks in January, with Mascherano reportedly one of the names on a shortlist that is thought to also include Liverpool pair Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel.
Reina has been a key player at Napoli since joining on loan from Liverpool at the start of the season and he hopes to see the squad boosted in the upcoming transfer window with the arrival of his former Anfield colleague.
"I do keep in contact with Mascherano," Reina told Radio Kiss Kiss. "He's a lovely guy with a winning mentality; a real gladiator.
"Now he plays for Barca and I cannot say more than that, but if he wants to come then I can give him a hand.
"It is difficult to talk about Agger and Skrtel, as I don't want to say anything that could hurt the Liverpool fans. They are among the best in Europe, so of course they could play for Napoli. Why not?"
Mascherano, 29, has a contract with Barca that runs until June 2016.
The Argentine has struggled to justify his €30 million price tag since arriving at the Parc des Princes from Napoli last year but says he does not know if he is bound for San Siro
Ezequiel Lavezzi is refusing to rule out the possibility of joining Inter in January but says that his current focus is on proving his worth to Paris Saint-Germain.
Nerazzurri boss Walter Mazzarri admitted on Wednesday that the Argentina international would be a "useful" addition to his squad during the winter transfer window.
Lavezzi freely admits that a move could materialise but insists that remains determined to justify the reported €30 million fee PSG paid to sign him from Napoli in 2012.
"Join Inter in January? I don't know," he told Le Parisien. "A player never knows exactly about these things. These are things that can happen in football. These are the possibilities of the transfer window; it's normal.
"But what I can tell you is that I will do everything to change my situation in Paris because I have not yet shown the best of myself and I don't want to continue like that. I want to reverse this trend and that's because I love Paris."
PSG boss Laurent Blanc claimed recently that Lavezzi was struggling physically and the 28-year-old attacker says his fitness has been an issue.
"It's true that I don't feel great," the Albiceleste ace confessed. "I didn't have a good preparation for the championship.
"And the fact that my level [of performance] is not good is certainly linked to the fact that I am, physically, a bit weak.
"So, I must speak with the doctor and remedy this situation."
Napoli missed the chance to move level with Roma at the top of Serie A after Udinese produced a resilient display to earn a 3-3 draw.
Goran Pandev put Rafael Benitez's ahead with two goals in three first-half minutes but they were unable to hold onto their lead.
A Federico Fernandez own goal and Bruno Fernandes' first Udinese goal brought the visitors level with 20 minutes to play.
Just two minutes later, Blerim Dzemaili put Napoli in front again as he stole in to turn home after Zeljko Brkic spilled Gonzalo Higuain's effort back into danger.
But Francesco Guidolin's side were not to be beaten and they secured a point thanks to Dusan Basta's 80th-minute leveller from close range.
In Saturday's other game Milan were grateful to striker Mario Balotelli as he produced a stunning 84th-minute free-kick – his second goal of the game – to secure a 2-2 draw away at Livorno.
The point means Milan are still yet to win back-to-back games this season and ensured the pressure continues to grow on head coach Massimiliano Allegri
The visitors had taken an early lead through Balotelli but goals from Luca Siligardi and Paulinho had put Livorno on course for a much-needed victory.
However, the 23-year-old striker ended that dream with a 30-yard strike that Francesco Bardi could get nowhere near in the Livorno goal.
Serie A Wrap: Roma back on track, Inter held at home
9 December 2013
Roma got back to winning ways in Serie A by defeating Fiorentina 2-1 at Stadio Olimpico, while Inter drew 3-3 at home to Parma.
Rudi Garcia's team had been held to four consecutive draws in the league prior to the visit of Vincenzo Montella's men, but ended that run on Sunday.
Roma took the lead as early as the seventh minute when Maicon notched his first goal of the season, but Juan Manuel Vargas levelled just before the half-hour mark.
The winning goal arrived with 23 minutes left to play as Mattia Destro found the net following good work from Gervinho, and the hosts held on despite Miralem Pjanic receiving a late red card.
Inter and Parma played out a thrilling 3-3 draw at San Siro, the former claiming a solitary point for the third Serie A match in succession.
Rodrigo Palacio cancelled out Nicola Sansone's well-taken 11th-minute opener, but Marco Parolo ensured Parma took a 2-1 lead into half-time following a dreadful mistake by the hosts' goalkeeper Samir Handanovic.
Goals in quick succession from Palacio and Fredy Guarin gave Inter the lead for the first time early in the second period, before Sansone grabbed his second in the 59th minute, leaving Inter four points behind third-placed Napoli.
Hellas Verona recorded a first win in four as goals in the final eight minutes from Juan Ignacio Gomez and Jorginho saw them come from behind and register a 2-1 win over Atalanta at Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi.
Lazio's winless league run stretched to six matches as Kamil Glik's 19th-minute goal gave Torino a 1-0 home win.
As a result, Torino leapt above Vladimir Petkovic's men and into seventh.
Cagliari also moved above Lazio in the table as two late goals from Marco Sau secured a 2-1 victory over visitors Genoa, who had Thomas Manfredini sent off just before half-time.
Sinisa Mihajlovic's Sampdoria climbed out of the relegation zone with a 2-0 win over Catania, while Chievo are two points clear of the bottom three after beating fellow strugglers Sassuolo 1-0 in foggy conditions.
Juve will not be affected by Pirlo absence, says Conte
10 December 2013
Juventus coach Antonio Conte feels his side will not be affected by the absence of Andrea Pirlo when they face Galatasaray on Tuesday.
Pirlo, 34, misses out on Juve's final UEFA Champions League group stage match due to knee ligament damage sustained in the Turin club's 1-0 win over Udinese at the start of the month.
Conte's men only need to avoid defeat in Istanbul to ensure qualification for the last 16, but the 44-year-old insists Juve will not set out to earn a share of the spoils.
"Unfortunately, Pirlo's missing. But we did well without him against Udinese and Bologna. We'll need to do even better tomorrow (Tuesday)," said Conte.
"Speculating about the result is not in our mentality; we'll look to win as we always do.
"We won't be affected by the fact that two out of three results will see us through. We'll play our usual game."
Conte is wary of the threat posed by the Turkish champions, who boast the likes of Didier Drogba, Wesley Sneijder and former Juve man Felipe Melo among their ranks.
"Galatasaray are very strong and will want to make their home advantage count," added Conte.
"We'll stick to our plan and try to dictate the play.
"The likes of Drogba and Sneijder are always dangerous. We'll have to be on our guard throughout."
The veteran defender believes his compatriot would prove a fantastic signing for the Nerazzurri and admits the forthcoming clashes with Napoli and AC Milan are vital
Javier Zanetti admits he would relish the chance to play alongside Ezequiel Lavezzi at Inter.
The Argentina forward has been heavily linked with a move to the Nerazzurri following his inconsistent run of form for Paris Saint-Germain this season after the €64 million signing of Edinson Cavani.
Although he is eager to improve his form for the Ligue 1 champions, the 28-year-old has suggested a move back to Serie A could be possible in the January transfer window, and Zanetti says he would be a major boost for Walter Mazzarri's side.
"If we talk about Lavezzi, we're talking about a champion who we would like to have and who a lot of teams could use," said Zanetti.
"The coach will decide and evaluate what is best for the team."
Inter have managed just one win in their last four games in Serie A after a strong start to the campaign and face Napoli and AC Milan in the derby prior to the winter break.
Zanetti feels it is vital his side are able to call upon some of their injured players for the crucial clashes, including Mauro Icardi, who has caught the headlines for off-the-field issues in recent weeks.
"The thing that matters is that Mauro recovers - he is very important for the team," said Zanetti. "[Diego] Milito? I hope that he and [Walter] Samuel can return as soon as possible, hopefully for the derby.
"The games against Napoli and AC Milan could be vital."
Napoli coach refuses to condemn the performances of his players after the Partenopei were consigned to the Europa League despite racking up 12 points in Group F
Rafa Benitez insists he remains proud of his players, even though they failed to advance into the knockout stages of the Champions League.
The Partenopei defeated Arsenal 2-0 in their final Group F fixture but despite finishing level on points with both Borussia Dortmund and the Gunners, they became the first team in the history of the tournament to bow out having amassed 12 points.
Consequently, Benitez says his side have no reason to feel ashamed of their early elimination from Europe's premier club cup competition.
"We picked up 12 points, beat Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund but still didn't qualify," the 53-year-old told Sky Sports.
"But everyone should be proud of these guys, we have put in a tremendous effort.
"Today we have seen on the pitch that there is a project going on here, and this team is growing."
The Spaniard also said he would be keen to see some new faces arrive during the January transfer window.
"We want to strengthen over time, so we will be looking at players of a particular age and ability that fit in with what we are trying to create," the former Liverpool boss explained.
Torino defender Danilo D'Ambrosio is all but certain to leave the club in the transfer window, according to president Urbano Cairo.
The 25-year-old moved to the Stadio Olimpico di Torino in 2010, but has been linked with a host of Italian clubs as well as Premier League side Aston Villa.
The full-back has also been involved in protracted contract negotiations, with his deal due to expire in June 2014, and Cairo revealed talks over a new agreement have failed due to interest from elsewhere.
"It looked like we were heading for a simple one-year renewal," he told Tuttosport.
"Then things went cold and, in March, the player told me that he didn't want to renew. He changed his mind in October and we agreed terms.
"We shook hands with the promise that we would speak again. When we did that, the player then refused the extension as he had an offer from a more important team."
D'Ambrosio has featured in 14 of Torino's 15 Serie A matches this season, helping his side to seventh in the table.
Corinthians are prepared to listen to offers for Brazil international Alexandre Pato.
The 24-year-old has been at the Brazilian club since signing on January 3, and has nine Brazil Serie A goals in 30 appearances - but has just two goals in his past 16 in all competitions.
Corinthians director of football Roberto de Andrade defended the former Inter and AC Milan man's signing, and put the 27-capped international on the market.
"When we bought Pato, it was because it was an opportunity, he is a great player," de Andrade said.
"He is a kid - still very young - we don't regret it. He will make the fans very happy.
"We can negotiate about him, like any player. But in order to have a negotiation, there must be clubs interested in signing him and Pato so far has not asked to leave."
Pato has been linked to both Arsenal and Tottenham, after switching from AC Milan to Corinthians for £12million.
Juventus will look to put UEFA Champions League elimination behind them when they host Sassuolo 24 hours later than expected on Sunday.
Antonio Conte's side were knocked of Europe's premier club competition by Galatasaray on Wednesday in their rearranged European fixture, much to the disappointment of the head coach.
The Serie A leaders' original Champions League tie was cut short on Tuesday by inclement weather in Istanbul, before the final 59 minutes were completed the next day.
They had been due to face Sassuolo in domestic action on Saturday, but their extended midweek exploits mean that their return to Serie A duties has now been pushed back 24 hours.
Juve are unbeaten in seven league matches, having kept clean sheets in each, and with Roma not playing until Monday, they could open up a six-point lead at the top with a win.
Sassuolo, meanwhile, make their first trip to Juventus hoping to extend a four-game unbeaten run away from home.
Eusebio Di Francesco's side started the season with four consecutive defeats and no win in seven matches, but have since picked up three victories and held Roma and Napoli to draws.
However, a wounded Juventus could pose a threat to their record and Conte wants his side get back to winning ways quickly.
"We have to dive back into Serie A and this disappointment has to spur us on domestically," Conte said.
"We have another two games before the Christmas break and will then start to think about the (UEFA) Europa League.
"We will try to do our best, just as we wanted to do our best in the Champions League."
Both sides have strikers in form - ironically Juventus own them both – but Sassuolo will be without their leading scorer.
Domenico Berardi – on loan from Juve – has scored five goals in his last five appearances but he will miss the trip due to suspension.
Juventus will have their top scorer Carlos Tevez available, but the Argentina international has gone four games without scoring – a record that equals the longest period he has gone without finding the back of the net for the club.
The visitors will also be without Gomes and Emanuele Terranova (both knee), while Conte continues to be without his playmaker Andrea Pirlo (knee) in the centre of midfield, and Claudio Marchisio is suspended.
Walter Mazzarri returns to Napoli for the first time with Inter on Sunday as two of Serie A's top four sides meet at the Stadio San Paolo.
Mazzarri spent four years at Napoli before moving to San Siro in May and will make his return with four points and one league place separating the two sides.
Napoli have the advantage at present but have suffered inconsistent domestic form of late.
While Sunday's hosts come into the game on the back of a 2-0 victory over Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League, they missed out on progression from the group stages and have won only twice in their last five top-flight outings.
After suffering back-to-back defeats against Juventus and Parma, Rafael Benitez's men overcame Lazio 4-2 at the Stadio Olimpico before dropping points against Udinese in a 3-3 draw.
That mixed form has seen last season's runners-up slip five points behind second-place Roma and eight off leaders Juventus, but defender Raul Albiol feels Sunday's game can provide a platform for Napoli to push on.
"We know that on Sunday we face an important game," he told Radio Kiss Kiss.
"It will be a high-standard match. This year Napoli changed the formation, welcomed some new players and we are led by a new coach.
"We must work hard and continue to grow. We know we still need time to settle our new squad and there is always something that should be improved."
Inter, on the other hand, have been in fine form over recent weeks, avoiding defeat in their last eight Serie A matches, although they have struggled to convert their impressive performances into victories, drawing their last three games.
Rodrigo Palacio and Fredy Guarin have been in fine form, each scoring twice in their last two league matches, and Inter are likely to need both at their best in order to arrest their poor record at Napoli.
Inter have only won once at the Stadio San Paolo in their last nine attempts, requiring penalties to secure victory in a Coppa Italia clash two years ago.
Neither side can move up the table even with a three-point haul, although Inter could slip a place if they drop points and Fiorentina beat Bologna at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.
Guarin is expected to shake off a knock suffered in training on Wednesday but Mauro Icardi (hernia), Diego Milito and Walter Samuel (both thigh) are likely to miss out for Mazzarri's side.
Goalkeeper Pepe Reina and captain Marek Hamsik could return to bolster Benitez's squad after missing the win over Arsenal in midweek.
The Juventus striker feels his goals are not enough to convince national coach Alejandro Sabella to take him to next year's tournament in Brazil
Juventus striker Carlos Tevez has given up hope of going to the World Cup with Argentina despite his impressive club form.
The 29-year-old, who has yet to feature for the Albiceleste under national coach Alejandro Sabella, has 11 goals in all competitions for Serie A champions Juventus, including a hat-trick in their 4-0 win over Sassuolo on Sunday.
Despite being the league's second-highest goalscorer behind Fiorentina's Giuseppe Rossi, Tevez does not expect to make a return to international football, where his last and 62nd appearance for his country came against Uruguay in the Copa America quarter-finals, while Sergio Batista was still in charge in 2011.
"I don't think my goals can convince Sabella to take me to the World Cup," he told Tuttosport.
Tevez is determined to help Juventus secure a third straight title and win the top goalscorer award in his first season in Italy.
"I want to win the Scudetto with Juve, so I would also like to win the Capocannoniere crown," he added.
"I look to just do my best – sometimes I am able to do that, others I am not.
"The season is not over and we'll look to win every trophy available to us."
Former Italy international Gennaro Gattuso has protested his innocence after being placed under investigation for alleged match-fixing.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Cremona chief prosecutor Roberto Di Martino said Gattuso and Cristian Brocchi - another ex-Italy international - were connected to a case that saw four arrests made overnight.
Gattuso, who spent 13 years at Milan and won the World Cup with Italy in 2006, has vowed to clear his name, insisting he has done nothing wrong.
Gattuso, 35, told Sport Mediaset: "I'm angry and offended (by the allegations).
"I'm calm and I'm going to clarify everything.
"I do not want to have these marks on my career. I have never gambled in my life."
At Tuesday's press conference, Di Martino said: "Gattuso and Brocchi were connected to the case by the use of phone taps.
"The four people arrested are Salvatore Spadaro, Francesco Bazzani, Cosimo Rinci and Fabio Quadri, whom are suspected of helping connect fixers to players."
