Rovella Out For Venezia As Belahyane And Dele-Bashiru Compete For A Starting Role

Following Saturday's draw with Napoli, Lazio now sits in fifth place with 35 points, level with Juventus (who secured a win against Inzaghi's Nerazzurri on Sunday). With two-thirds of the season completed, Lazio has lost some of the consistency that has long been their hallmark—a consistency that will be crucial to regain, especially with the pressure mounting from fourth-placed rivals like Juventus, Fiorentina, as well as Milan and Bologna, who still have a game in hand.

In the Napoli match, midfielder Rovella picked up a yellow card, which means he will miss the upcoming home fixture against Venezia. While there are options available, the team needs to determine the best way to secure three points this Saturday. According to Corriere dello Sport, the Nigerian is preferred over new signing Belahyane, who might instead come off the bench to support Guendouzi. The Frenchman and the Nigerian have been teammates for several months now and have shared significant minutes—most notably in both the first leg against Napoli and the return match against Fiorentina. With targeted training scheduled between tomorrow and the day after, and a full week to prepare, the coach will decide between Dele-Bashiru and Belahyane, though the former appears to be the stronger candidate for a starting role.

Reda Belahyane, who joined during this winter’s transfer window that closed at the beginning of February, is still waiting for his debut opportunity. Baroni is well acquainted with him, having given him his Serie A debut in January of the previous year while at Verona. Along with recent signings like Ibrahimović and Provstgaard, Belahyane has been working hard with the squad since arriving in Rome, patiently waiting on the bench for his chance. Perhaps the match against Venezia, with him sporting the number 21 jersey, will finally be the moment to showcase his abilities to both the club and its supporters.