Serie A Wk 30 line-ups: Inter vs. Empoli
Francesco Acerbi starts for Inter with Marcus Thuram, Lautaro Martinez and Emil Audero against relegation battlers Empoli.
It kicks off at San Siro at 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT).
You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from today’s five Serie A games on the LIVEBLOG.
The Nerazzurri need a victory to maintain their 14-point advantage over second-placed Milan, but it has been a tense couple of weeks since the 1-1 draw with Napoli.
Acerbi was accused of using a racist term against Juan Jesus, but was not sanctioned due to insufficient evidence.
Coach Simone Inzaghi starts him here, while Thuram has fully recovered to partner Lautaro Martinez.
Yann Sommer turned his ankle on international duty with Switzerland and is not risked, so Audero takes the gloves.
Empoli had climbed the table following the appointment of coach Davide Nicola, but then hit another crisis with three consecutive defeats.
They were all 1-0 results against Cagliari, Milan and Bologna.
Youssef Maleh is suspended, with Tyronne Ebuehi, Etrit Berisha and Ardian Ismajli injured.
Veterans Francesco Caputo and Mattia Destro are on the bench, as M’Baye Niang and Nicolò Cambiaghi lead the attack.
Considering the other results, Empoli will remain outside the bottom three regardless, but could even break free.
Inter: Audero; Pavard, Acerbi, A Bastoni; Darmian, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Lautaro Martinez
Empoli: Caprile; Bereszynski, Walukiewicz, Luperto; Gyasi, Marin, S Bastoni, Pezzella; Zurkowski, Cambiaghi; Niang
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