Joao Mario will do everything in his power to make himself available for this weekend’s fixture with Napoli, even if it is just to get himself fit for the bench Gazzetta dello Sport detail.
The Portuguese midfielder missed the derby at the weekend due to tonsilitis and even if medically cleared, he is unlikely to be granted a starting berth. He will undergo further testing today to see how he is recovering.
Gazzetta further report that while Borja Valero is likely to fulfil the trequartista role, Antonio Candreva could in fact be deployed there and Joao Cancelo would then replace him on the right wing. Valero would then either be benched or Roberto Gagliardini would be and Valero would then partner Matias Vecino in the middle.
Source: FCInterNews.it
So what happens when both Mario and Brozo are back and in form. Who plays? Both lack that special something that will bring them to the next level and make them world class. Brozo lacks consistency and we can’t stand the Brozobitch periods he tends to have, Mario can’t shoot to save his life, which is a huge problem when playing behind the attacker. For me Mario isn’t an AM and should start defending more and slowly take Valero’s role, because his abilities to hold the ball, distribute and run like a horse for 90 minutes are amazing. Brozo, on the other hand, if finally decides he wants to be a vital part of the team, should start giving his all in every match and not just sparks of genius once a in month. We’ve already seen that with Guarin.