IP addresses are NOT logged in this forum so there's no point asking. Please note that this forum is full of homophobes, racists, lunatics, schizophrenics & absolute nut jobs with a smattering of geniuses, Chinese chauvinists, Moderate Muslims and last but not least a couple of "know-it-alls" constantly sprouting their dubious wisdom. If you believe that content generated by unsavory characters might cause you offense PLEASE LEAVE NOW! Sammyboy Admin and Staff are not responsible for your hurt feelings should you choose to read any of the content here. The OTHER forum is HERE so please stop asking.
Juventus striker Carlos Tevez has been ruled out of his side's Coppa Italia semi-final second leg against Fiorentina after suffering an injury to his right thigh.
Tevez initially complained of discomfort in the thigh during Monday's training but the club confirmed a day later that he would miss Tuesday's semi in Florence.
"Carlos Tevez will miss out on tonight’s Coppa Italia semi-final return leg clash with Fiorentina," the Italian champions said in a statement.
"He returns to Turin as a precautionary measure due to persistent discomfort felt from flexor muscle fatigue in his right thigh, an issue first reported during yesterday’s training.
"The Argentine forward will undergo further medical assessments tomorrow."
Juve trail in the tie 2-1, having suffered a rare defeat at the Juventus Stadium in early March.
Tevez's absence will likely prove a key miss for Massimiliano Allegri, with the Argentine having scored 25 goals in all competitions this term.
Roma will play one game in front of a reduced capacity at the Stadio Olimpico after fans behaved unacceptably against Napoli on Saturday.
During their 1-0 Serie A victory, Roma's Ultras unveiled a banner mocking the mother of a Napoli supporter who was murdered in the capital last year.
Roma owner James Pallotta condemned the banner and chanting towards Napoli fans following the game, but Lega Serie A has chosen to act by imposing a one-game closure on the Curva Sud.
The decision comes after Napoli boss Rafael Benitez called for stricter punishments for such behaviour.
"As I’ve already said several times, when we heard racist chanting or chants against people from the south I've talked extensively on this subject," said Benitez.
"We need to close not just some terraces but also the stadia, then it'll be easier to control these people.
"If we don't act ... the more we wait the more the situation will become untenable.
"Now with social networking and the ease with which people can spread opinions without being held responsible for what they say, I believe it’ll be crucial for the law to become a lot stricter.
"Only then we'll be able to reverse the trend in Italian football, that less and less people come follow the games each Sunday."
Fiorentina v Juventus: Allegri hoping to be boosted by Marchisio presence
6 April 2015
Juventus hope Claudio Marchisio will be fit in time to help them overturn a first-leg deficit in their Coppa Italia semi-final at Fiorentina on Tuesday.
Massimiliano Allegri's side suffered a surprise 2-1 defeat in the home tie last month, as Mohamed Salah scored either side of Fernando Llorente's strike.
Marchisio suffered a knee injury while on international duty and with Juve needing victory by two goals to progress to the final, Allegri hopes the midfielder will be able to play some part, with Andrea Pirlo (calf) and Paul Pogba (hamstring) still out.
"Marchisio is doing well," Allegri said on Monday. "He's returned to the squad, however he's been working separately.
"Considering the number of games he's played from the start of the season to now, I think four or five days out of the team did him some good.
"He'll be available, so I'll have to assess today whether to play him or not.
"As for Pirlo, the day after tomorrow he should be part of the group, and then we'll slowly evaluate his physical condition.
"I'll assess him once he returns to the group, but the important thing is to have him available. I hope he'll be in good condition, because he's done well in training.
"There are still a lot of games between now and the end of the season, I think Andrea has the quality to play in big games, even when he's not in top condition."
Allegri says Fiorentina start the second leg as favourites to progress, and has pledged to play a back four with an extra attacker, while Marco Storari will start in goal instead of Gianluigi Buffon.
Juve go into the game on the back of five straight wins across all competitions since the first-leg defeat, while Fiorentina have lost just once in their past 19 outings.
"It's a big opportunity for us," said Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Montella. "To beat Juve after also knocking Roma out would mean we'd eliminated the top two teams in the league, and that would be a source of pride for us.
"We're very proud, but we haven't achieved anything yet. Up until now we haven't reached any of our goals.
"Tomorrow's game can give us the opportunity to achieve something positive. Our state of mind is that we can achieve more and more, the city recognises our commitment and is proud of us."
Fiorentina are bidding to reach their second straight Coppa final, after losing 3-1 to Napoli in last year's edition, while Juve were beaten by the same opponents in the showpiece in 2012, last lifting the trophy in 1995.
Napoli coach Rafael Benitez insists his side will not sit back in the second leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final with Lazio on Wednesday despite holding the advantage of an away goal.
Benitez's men claimed a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Rome last month, Manolo Gabbiadini's second-half equaliser to Mirsolav Klose's opener giving them a slender advantage ahead of the decisive encounter at the Stadio San Paolo.
But the Spaniard, who guided Napoli to their fifth Coppa success last year with a 3-1 victory over Fiorentina in last year's final at the Stadio Olimpico, is keen for his players to attack as they bid to secure a return to the showpiece at the same venue.
"We'll go out onto the pitch with the idea of winning the game," Benitez said.
"We're an attacking team. Lazio are a team which creates a lot, but which can also be exploited, so we must take advantage of the chances we get and not give them space.
"At this point [in the season] you have to show character, to demonstrate what our level is as we've done so many times. We're fighting on three fronts, we have to prove that we're ready."
Asked if captain Marek Hamsik will start after being left on the bench in Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Roma, Benitez added: "We have [Dries] Mertens, [Jose] Callejon, Gabbiadini… many players who can play the same role.
"Marek is a professional who works very hard, so he'll get his chance, we'll have to see if he starts the game or replaces one of his team-mates."
Klose is included in Lazio's squad despite sitting out training on Monday, and coach Stefano Pioli has urged the 2012-13 winners to play without fear.
"I'll select the team which I think can cause our opponents most trouble, the choices will be dictated by which areas of the field we're looking to play in," Pioli said.
"We'll have to bite the bullet, and not be afraid. Our opponents have quality, we're not going to be able to nullify them completely.
"We're increasingly aware of our qualities, we must ride out the difficult moments and find a way to win."
And, with the capital club unbeaten in their last eight games and pushing for second place in Serie A, the visitors have plenty of reason to be confident as they seek to end an outstanding season with silverware.
The Bianconeri boss has admitted the Egyptian attacker could trouble his side, but he remains hopeful of overturning their first-leg defeat
Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri has singled out Mohamed Salah as Fiorentina's main threat ahead of Tuesday's Coppa Italia clash at the Artemio Franchi.
The Egypt international has made a great impression in Italy since joining on loan from Chelsea in January and he played a key role in his side's 2-1 win in the first leg of their semi-final tie in Turin.
Allegri has stressed that the Serie A champions must be on top of their game to keep the 22-year-old quiet in the return tie and progress to the final.
"Salah? He's a good player. Fiorentina have made an excellent signing," Allegri said at a press conference.
"We're out to overturn the scoreline in Florence. It won't be easy and an intelligent display is required.
"To turn the tables we need to win by a two-goal margin. We need a good performance and calm heads.
"We need to be extremely patient and make the most of the chances that fall our way.
"Where did we go wrong in the first leg? The way we dealt with Salah's goal and the first eight minutes of the second half."
Allegri then went on to reveal that Andrea Pirlo is unlikely to feature against Fiorentina, but added that Claudio Marchisio has recovered from injury.
"Pirlo should be back with the group on Wednesday. We'll check on his fitness.
"Marchisio is in good shape and back with the squad. His few days off have served him well."
Maldini to replace Galliani, Conte as coach - Mr Bee's potential Milan plans
Apr 7, 2015 11:38:33
SPECIAL REPORT: The Rossoneri icon could return to the club where he enjoyed so much success, with the Italy coach also being lined up
By Gaia Brunelli
Bee Thaechaubol is looking to appoint Antonio Conte as AC Milan's new head coach if he completes his takeover of the Serie A side, and is lining up Paolo Maldini as the club's new technical director.
The Thai businessman reached a preliminary agreement over the purchase of a majority stake in Milan with current owner Silvio Berlusconi earlier this month.
In a Memorandum of Understanding between the two parties, 'Mr Bee' is set to buy 60 per cent of the club for €500 million. If Berlusconi pulls out of the deal, he will be obliged to pay a €50m fine.
Taechaubol has now started looking at the club's sporting future and is ready to make a number of key changes if the takeover is completed.
The Thai entrepreneur aims to part company with current CEO Adriano Galliani come 2016 and has earmarked Paolo Maldini as the ideal candidate to become the Rossoneri's new technical director.
Maldini said farewell to Milan in 2009 when ending his active career, but Taechaubol is determined to bring the club icon back.
The 46-year-old's potential return could mean the end of Filippo Inzaghi as the club's coach as they are looking to appoint Italy coach Antonio Conte as the new man in charge.
Roma will play one game in front of a reduced capacity at the Stadio Olimpico after fans behaved unacceptably against Napoli on Saturday.
During their 1-0 Serie A victory, Roma's Ultras unveiled a banner mocking the mother of a Napoli supporter who was murdered in the capital last year.
Roma owner James Pallotta condemned the banner and chanting towards Napoli fans following the game, but Lega Serie A has chosen to act by imposing a one-game closure on the Curva Sud.
The decision comes after Napoli boss Rafael Benitez called for stricter punishments for such behaviour.
"As I’ve already said several times, when we heard racist chanting or chants against people from the south I've talked extensively on this subject," said Benitez.
"We need to close not just some terraces but also the stadia, then it'll be easier to control these people.
"If we don't act ... the more we wait the more the situation will become untenable.
"Now with social networking and the ease with which people can spread opinions without being held responsible for what they say, I believe it’ll be crucial for the law to become a lot stricter.
"Only then we'll be able to reverse the trend in Italian football, that less and less people come follow the games each Sunday."
Swansea City manager Garry Monk says he will hold talks with Michu about his future at the end of the season.
The forward, currently on loan at Serie A side Napoli, made a huge impact after arriving in south Wales for a bargain £2million in 2012, scoring 18 goals in 35 Premier League matches in his debut season.
However, the Spain international's second campaign at the Liberty Stadium was dogged by ankle injuries and he was offloaded to Italy for 2014-15.
Further injuries hindered Michu's ability to settle in at Napoli, limiting him to just three league outings.
"I'll assess it in the summer with him. I'll speak to him," said Monk. "I've kept an eye on how he's doing and, as a club, it's our duty to make sure we understand exactly what's going on with Michu.
"I'll just let him worry about his football and, at the end of the season, we'll sit down and see where we go forward from there.
"He's a Swansea City player, he's still contracted to the club. I had good discussions with him in the summer and he's gone to Napoli on a season's loan. He's been injured and he's had a difficult time.
"I think his concentration right now is on getting fit. I'm sure he'll want to finish off the season strong there."
Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi has suffered a hairline fracture in his back, the club have confirmed.
The Italy international will now take part in a personalised training program over the coming days, and it remains to be seen whether he will be fit to face Torino on Sunday.
Meanwhile, left-back Ashley Cole has fractured his right hand, though the injury will not limit his availability.
Former Chelsea and Arsenal man Cole, who has made just 16 appearances in all competitions this season, will wear a brace for three to four weeks.
De Laurentiis threatens to cancel Napoli squad's holidays
By Miles Chambers
Apr 9, 2015 08:26:36
The president is furious at the form being shown by Rafa Benitez's side and has issued them an ultimatum if they cannot prove themselves
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has slammed his players' "squalid" performances and threatened to cancel their holidays unless they find form.
Defending champions Napoli suffered a 1-0 home defeat to Lazio on Wednesday in the Coppa Italia, with Senad Lulic's 79th-minute goal eliminating them 2-1 on aggregate at the semi-final stage.
Rafa Benitez refrained from tearing into his players after the game but De Laurentiis had no such issue as he criticised the Stadio San Paolo stars, saying he'll drag them to a training camp at the end of 2014-15 if they don't arrest form which has seen them win just one of their last nine matches.
"We have a commitment to the fans, who are quite right to be unhappy," De Laurentiis told SportItalia.
"From today until the end of the season - if we don't change course and the players are incapable of honouring the jersey on their back - then they are going into a training retreat for an undetermined length of time.
"I hope all of this will serve as a turning point to spark some pride. We have put in some squalid performances that are unworthy of Napoli.
"From today, we change. We need a training session on mentality, and more respect for the fans, the club, the coach and for themselves."
Next up for Napoli - who have slumped down to sixth in Serie A from third place - is a home clash with fourth-placed Fiorentina, whom they can leapfrog if they claim a rare victory.
The Spanish coach rued his team's profligacy at the San Paolo, while Lazio boss Stefano Pioli relished having reached the Coppa Italia final
Rafa Benitez conceded that "nobody is happy" at Napoli after they were eliminated from the Coppa Italia by Lazio on Wednesday.
The Partenopei hosted the second leg having held Lazio to a 1-1 draw at the Stadio Olimpico last month but the capital club followed Juventus in securing an away win to seal a final spot.
Senad Lulic scored the only goal of the game at the Stadio San Paolo, converting in the 79th minute after coming off the bench, and Benitez was left to rue his side's missed chances as they surrendered the chance to defend their trophy against the Serie A champions.
"We just lacked a goal," Benitez told Rai Sport. "Congratulations Lazio for qualifying. We had seven chances to score, didn’t take them and the other team took their chance.
"I think getting to the semi-final and the Europa League quarter-final is nothing to be sniffed at. The attitude of the team and the chances we create are obvious. What did club president Aurelio De Laurentiis say? Well, nobody is happy."
Stefano Pioli, on the other hand, was delighted that his Champions League-chasing team were able to eliminate the Coppa Italia holders on their own turf.
"I think the whole team has earned praise for a superb battling performance in this difficult stadium," he said. "I knew this side deserved to reach the final after a long road to get here and we’re very satisfied at having done so.
"Now we must focus on Serie A again as we want to continue our good run there too."
The Frenchman has emerged as his side's talisman this season but his coach has refused to take credit for his displays
AC Milan boss Filippo Inzaghi says Silvio Berlusconi and Adriano Galliani deserve praise for Jeremy Menez's goalscoring exploits this season and not him.
Only Carlos Tevez (17) has more goals than the Frenchman (16) in Serie A this season, as the forward has emerged as the Rossoneri's talisman.
His rise to prominence has been all the more surprising given his struggle to hold down a regular place at Paris Saint-Germain prior to joining Milan last summer.
Inzaghi has refused to take credit for Menez's resurgence, though, instead opting to hail the Milan hierarchy for bringing him to the club.
"Menez? I don't take any credit," he told Sky Sport. "He is a good centre-forward and he's also good as a winger. Berlusconi and Galliani invested him and they deserve praise.
"He mustn't stop now, though. He must try to become Serie A's top goalscorer, not for himself but for the team."
However, another disappointing season for Milan sees them sit in ninth place in Italy's top flight and facing an uphill battle to qualify for next season's Europa League.
Their current standing has prompted speculation regarding the future of Inzaghi, but he is refusing to give up of clinching a European spot.
"I hope to repay Milan fans by the end of the season. To them it is hard to accept that the club isn't challenging for the championship.
"But I think with this squad we can soon return to where we believe we belong."
Serie A Preview: Napoli, Fiorentina eye reaction to Coppa exits
9 April 2015
Napoli and Fiorentina can quickly banish memories from their Coppa Italia exits at the semi-final stage when they meet at Stadio San Paolo on Sunday.
Fiorentina saw their 2-1 first-leg lead evaporate on Tuesday as they were beaten 3-0 by Juventus in Florence while Rafael Benitez's side fell to a 1-0 defeat against Lazio a day later.
Napli's loss angered president Aurelio De Laurentiis, who later threatened the club's players with a post-season training retreat if results do not improve.
Both clubs now have just the UEFA Europa League and a continental push in Serie A to focus on, with the sides in the running for a top-five spot.
Just two points separate Fiorentina in fourth and Napoli in sixth, with Benitez urging his players to be more clinical.
"All I can do is analyse everything that has happened on the pitch, and sometimes you do not get the goals you deserve and that has happened to us," he told reporters after the Lazio game.
"There's no point in dwelling on this result. The team created so many chances and the players showed they are alive and capable of playing an attacking game.
"And we hope that in future we can be more effective in front of the opposition's goal."
Champions Juventus have fitness doubts over their in-form striker Carlos Tevez ahead of Saturday's trip to bottom side Parma, who picked up a rare victory on Wednesday against Udinese.
Juve appear certain to take maximum points against Serie A's crisis club meaning Roma can ill afford any slip-ups in their bid to keep alive any faint hopes of reeling the runaway leaders in.
Rudi Garcia's side travel to Torino equally aware of the threat from third-placed rivals Lazio, whose seven-match winning run in the league will be tested by Empoli.
With relegation candidates Cesena and Cagliari facing Chievo and Genoa respectively, Atalanta have a big opportunity to put further daylight between themselves and the bottom three.
However, Atalanta boss Edy Reja will be without striker Mauricio Pinilla who begins his three-match suspension for an off-the-ball incident with Migjen Basha in the defeat to Torino last time out.
A resurgent Milan can take a big step forward in their bid for a European spot when they host fifth-place Sampdoria on Sunday, while stuttering Inter travel to Verona.
Neither Udinese nor Palermo boast strong form going into Sunday's clash at the Stadio Communale Friuli, although both appear safe from the drop going into the run-in.
Parma v Juventus: Lodi warns leaders to expect a battle
9 April 2015
Francesco Lodi has vowed that crisis club Parma will demonstrate another display of strength in the face of adversity against runaway Serie A leaders Juventus at Stadio Ennio Tardini on Saturday.
Parma face an uncertain future after they were declared bankrupt last month and entered administration, having run up huge debts.
The two-time UEFA Cup winners must hope that new investors step forward to save them from going out of business but, despite not being paid for months, Roberto Donadoni's side have certainly not thrown the towel in.
Parma remain bottom of the table and look destined to remain there, but they secured a first Serie A victory since January by beating Udinese 1-0 on Wednesday.
That long-awaited win came on the back of a 1-1 draw at Inter last Saturday and Donadoni expressed his pride over the manner in which his players have gone about their business.
Lodi made his first start since January at San Siro and the midfielder is determined to show Juve that Parma are no soft touch despite their current plight.
He said: "We will try to play as we have done so far, with all our determination.
"Juve is the strongest team in Italy, has already practically won another league title, but in Parma will find a team ready to fight and sacrifice but that will not leave anything to chance because these months are important for the future of all of us and society.
"On Saturday we would like to give joy because we know that even with a win like yesterday [against Udinese] we can make many people happy, beginning with those who work every day here at Parma.
"There is so much pride, we are showing that we play head on to the end."
While Parma ponder what the future may hold, these are exciting times for Juve as they attempt to win a famous treble.
The Turin giants have all-but wrapped up a fourth successive Serie A title as they sit 14 points clear at the top of the table and can look forward to a UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg tie at home to Monaco next Tuesday.
Juve will also face Lazio in the Coppa Italia final in June after beating Fiorentina 3-0 in their semi-final second leg to seal a 4-2 aggregate victory in midweek.
Massimiliano Allegri's men have won their last six games without conceding a goal, so Parma will be up against it this weekend and in a game captain Alessandro Lucarelli will miss due to suspension.
Juve still have injury concerns over Paul Pogba (hamstring), Carlos Tevez (thigh), Andrea Pirlo (calf), and Stephan Lichtsteiner (knock).
Roberto Mancini has told his Inter players not to feel sorry for themselves despite being without a win in seven games ahead of Saturday's Serie A clash at Verona.
Mancini has not had the impact Inter owner Erick Thohir hoped for in his second spell with the 18-time Italian champions.
Inter were held to a 1-1 draw against crisis club Parma last weekend - having lost their last away game 1-0 at Sampdoria - and are down in mid-table spot with nine league games remaining, as well as being out of the UEFA Europa League and Coppa Italia.
Mancini this week claimed he still has the backing of Thohir and the former Italy forward has called on his players to show some consistency between now and the end of the season.
He told Sky Sport 24: "You might be depressed until midnight after the game, but then it must end there.
"You have to think positive even when things are not going well. You just need to get on with your job in the right frame of mind.
"I'm not depressed, I'm sad about the game. I've spoken to the president Thohir. He remains confident and is always a very positive person.
"We have to play with the same spirit we showed against Samp, not as we did against Parma. Sometimes you get years like this, but all things considered I think the players have improved loads.
"We're alternating decent displays with less decent ones and that's something you have to go through on your way to becoming a great team. I think the fans can understand that and I hope they'll stick close behind us."
Verona looked set for a comfortable home victory when they led struggling Cesena 3-0 with 20 minutes remaining on Saturday, but they fell to pieces in the last 20 minutes.
Cesena scored three times in the space of 11 minutes to salvage an unlikely point, leaving Verona coach Andrea Mandorlini shell-shocked.
Mandorlini will be looking to Luca Toni to continue his rich vein of form this weekend, with the striker's double against Cesena taking his tally to nine goals in his last eight games - and 16 for the season in all competitions.
The veteran was on target in November's 2-2 draw at San Siro, with Mauro Icardi - back from suspension along with Nemanja Vidic - netting twice before Gary Medel was sent off and Nicolas Lopez levelled late on for Verona.
Tevez returns for Juve, Pirlo also on comeback trail
10 April 2015
Carlos Tevez will return for Juventus' Serie A trip to Parma on Saturday, while Andrea Pirlo is in contention to face Monaco in the UEFA Champions League three days later.
Argentine striker Tevez was absent when Juve won 3-0 at Fiorentina on Tuesday to reach the Coppa Italia final due to a thigh strain.
However, coach Massimiliano Allegri has confirmed the former Manchester City frontman will face rock-bottom Parma at Stadio Ennio Tardini.
Midfielder Pirlo has been absent since February with a thigh injury and should make his comeback in the quarter-final first leg at home to Leonardo Jardim's side.
"Carlos Tevez is in good shape and fit to play," Allegri said. "Pirlo misses out tomorrow, but will be back for the Champions League.
On Tevez, he added: "Carlos is in peak condition having rested on Tuesday. I'll work out my best team for Parma."
Allegri, who will be hoping Stephan Lichtsteiner passes a fitness test ahead of the Parma clash, warned the champions of the perils of taking Parma lightly on Saturday.
"Parma have put in some decent performances of late," Allegri said. "Credit to [coach Roberto] Donadoni and his players for their professionalism.
"We'll go out with our best team tomorrow as many players have rested. It's a crucial game for our title ambitions.
"It's easy to slip up at this part of the season. We need to work on fine details and our concentration."
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis says talks are taking place about holding the first weekend of next season's Serie A in 10 different cities across the globe.
The division has experienced a decline in quality and also been hit by financial problems in recent years, with Parma's woes a prime example.
In an ambitious bid to raise the profile of Italy's top flight, De Laurentiis has revealed that an idea to take live Serie A action across the world is in place, with the likes of New York, London, Paris, Jakarta, Beijing and Shanghai touted as possible venues.
De Laurentiis, who said the idea was not his, claims that the plans are dependent on Serie A's television rights holder Sky Italia.
"I'm working on a project with the league to hold the first day of next season's Serie A in 10 different cities around the world," he told Radio Kiss Kiss.
"We're verifying the feasibility of the project, which aims to help Italian football recover from a rough period."
Milan face a big test in their quest to secure a place in Europe when Sampdoria visit San Siro on Monday.
Coach Filippo Inzaghi has been under pressure as Milan have stuttered their way through the campaign and occupy eighth place with nine games remaining.
At times during the season qualifying for Europe has looked highly unlikely, but Milan appeared to have turned the corner at just the right time while some of their rivals have slipped up.
Back-to-back wins prior to Sunday's clash have lifted the gloom, while also easing the pressure that was beginning to build on Inzaghi in what has been a baptism of fire for the former Milan striker.
However, he could end the season on a high after Juventus and Lazio qualified for the Coppa Italia final. With both sides already in European spots, sixth place could secure a UEFA Europa League place.
Napoli currently occupy sixth, but with Rafael Benitez's side in poor form a win for Milan could see them close to within three points.
Milan can expect a stern examination from Sinisa Mihajlovic's side, who currently sitting in fifth place after an impressive season under the Serb.
Last weekend's defeat to Fiorentina ended a run of four successive wins for the Genoa club and midfielder Djamel Mesbah knows the trip to Milan is key in their push for a top-five finish.
"If we win on Sunday we make a big step forward for Europe," he told the club's official website. "So let's focus on this challenge and play to win.
"But even after Milan, we will look to do that in every game.
"We are where we are, if we play like Sampdoria we can stay in the top five or six of the standings until the end."
Mihajlovic has been widely linked with a move at the end of the season, with Napoli reported interested in appointing him if Benitez leaves the club.
The former Lazio man will be determined to ensure speculation over his future does not affect his Samp side, who could yet secure a top-three finish.
Milan have been boosted by the return to training of Marco van Ginkel, Cristian Zapata, Cristian Zaccardo and Adil Rami, but Giacomo Bonaventura is a major doubt after suffering an ankle injury.
Samp have no new injury worries, but will have to do without defender Vasco Regini due to suspension.
Parma have confirmed winger Jonathan Biabiany has left the club by mutual consent after agreeing to cancel the remaining three years on his contract.
After impressing for Roberto Donadoni's side last season, Biabiany has only made one appearance this campaign after a heart problem was detected.
He was set to move to Milan in September until Cristian Zaccardo refused to go in the opposite direction, but during his medical an arrhythmia was found with Biabiany's heart.
The 26-year-old has not featured since due to medical concerns and now the two parties have agreed to end his contract at the beleaguered club.
"Jonathan Biabiany and Parma have consensually resolved his contract that would have tied him to the club until June 2018," a club statement read.
Parma – who have been declared bankrupt after failing to pay players since July – also revealed the player had foregone any wage payments owed to him, lifting some of the pressure on Serie A's bottom club.
De Rossi will play through the pain barrier for Roma - Garcia
11 April 2015
Rudi Garcia has backed Daniele De Rossi to continue playing through the pain barrier in Roma's bid to secure UEFA Champions League football.
Italy international De Rossi has been featuring despite suffering with a fractured vertebra.
Head coach Garcia says that the issue has not been unduly affecting the midfielder's performance and stated he will continue to give his all for the cause.
"De Rossi has had this small fracture of a vertebra for the last three weeks," he said.
"De Rossi has to deal with the pain and he'll give his all for the cause as he always does. I'm not worried."
Having struggled for form at the turn of the year, Roma have found some momentum with back-to-back Serie A victories against Cesena and Napoli.
Roma players last month were subject to protests from the Stadio Olimpico faithful after a 3-0 defeat to Fiorentina saw them crash out of the UEFA Europa League.
But Garcia, whose men are second and seven points ahead of fourth-placed Fiorentina, believes the club's supporters are now back on side.
"I look at the fans' protests like a lovers' tiff," he added. "You get things like that when two sides love each other.
"I live in the dressing room and I know there's love felt between the players and the fans."
Roma can firm their Champions League hopes by picking up three points from their trip to Torino on Sunday and Garcia suggested he may spring a few tactical surprises.
"We don't play every game the same way as we did against Napoli," he said. "We adapt and change according to our opponents.
"So at times we'll see Roma bossing possession and at other times playing a more counter-attacking game. What matters is the result and that depends on how well you perform and how you approach the game."
