Serie A official line-ups: Napoli vs. Milan
It’s a huge Scudetto battle between third and second, as Napoli lose Rasmus Hojlund, so Giovane, Kevin De Bruyne and Scott McTominay start, while Milan revamp with Niclas Fullkrug, Christopher Nkunku and Luka Modric.
It kicks off at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona at 19.45 UK time (20.45 CEST).
This is a decisive crossroads in the campaign, as whoever wins will be in a position to challenge leaders Inter going into the final seven rounds of the season.
Napoli are still missing Romelu Lukaku, David Neres, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Amir Rrahmani and Antonio Vergara, with Lukaku frozen out of the squad as punishment for refusing to return early from international duty, seeking instead to continue treatment in Belgium.
The situation took a totally unexpected turn today when Hojlund came down with a stomach bug and fever, so he is not even fit for the bench, having started the last 29 games in a row.
Antonio Conte can finally start De Bruyne, McTominay and Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa together after their injury problems.
They need to provide support for makeshift centre-forward Giovane, who joined from Verona in January.
Miguel Gutierrez is preferred to Matteo Politano, who struggled for Italy in the World Cup play-offs, as Napoli seek a fifth straight Serie A victory.
Milan have quite a few problems to deal with after the hard-fought 3-2 win over Torino, because Rafael Leao is still not fully fit after a hip inflammation, while Christian Pulisic returned fatigued from international duty with the USMNT.
With that in mind, Max Allegri launches a brand new front pairing of Fullkrug and Nkunku, neither of them entirely accustomed to starting, let alone together.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek is back on the bench for the first time since suffering facial fractures in a collision with the Parma goalkeeper in February, so only Matteo Gabbia remains out of action entirely.
Davide Bartesaghi is chosen ahead of Pervis Estupinan, with Luka Modric and Adrien Rabiot in midfield.
These teams have already met twice this season, as Milan won 2-1 at San Siro in Serie A in September, then Napoli sealed a 2-0 victory in the Supercoppa Italiana semi-final on December 12.
Napoli vs. Milan official line-ups
Napoli: Milinkovic-Savic; Juan Jesus, Buongiorno, Olivera; Gutierrez, Lobotka, Anguissa, Spinazzola; De Bruyne, McTominay; Giovane
Milan: Maignan; Tomori, De Winter, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Fofana, Modric, Rabiot, Bartesaghi; Fullkrug, Nkunku
