Both sides in this match are short in exactly the spots that decide it. Como have lost their attacking depth (Kean, Diao) and now Chalobah in defence, while our absence list has Sassuolo without Idzes, Paz, Kone, Boloca and Leysen, which hollows out the middle of their team. So I'm curious whether Como's reshuffled front line can still pull a thin Sassuolo back line apart, or whether the home side's own patched defence hands the visitors an easy route back into the game.
Como's side first. According to Fantacalcio's report from the Fiorentina game, Chalobah went off after just over ten minutes with a left-leg problem and Ramon replaced him, with Yan Couto also left out just before kick-off and Diao and Kean missing. Our list now shows Kean, Diao, Chalobah, Liberali and Rodriguez as out for this match. That is a lot of the first-choice spine for a coach who likes his team to press high and push the back line up the pitch.
Sassuolo's side. Their five absentees are split between defence and midfield, so the question is less 'can they score' and more 'can they build and hold a shape for ninety minutes'. If Como's pressing wins the ball high, the gaps behind a patched Sassuolo midfield matter far more than any single missing striker. I would watch who steps in for Idzes' line-leading role.
I haven't seen confirmed lineups, so treat all of this as the picture before team sheets.
