Sarri Set To Rotate The Attacking Front For Torino Away As Lazio Balance Serie A And Coppa Italia

Lazio’s trip to Turin on Sunday, March 1 comes with a clear sub plot. The Biancoceleste need points in Serie A, but their real spotlight is already drifting toward Wednesday’s Coppa Italia semi final first leg against Atalanta. With that in mind, reports in Italy suggest Maurizio Sarri is ready to rotate aggressively at Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino, including a complete change of the attacking trident.

The match itself is scheduled to kick off at 17:00 UTC, which is Sunday evening in Italy, and Lazio are expected to manage minutes carefully rather than push the same starters again three days before a major cup night.

Up front, Petar Ratkov is the name gaining momentum to start as the central striker, with Daniel Maldini expected to drop to the bench after being used as a false nine. The logic is simple: Sarri wants to see more penalty box presence and Ratkov is the closest profile Lazio have to a natural number nine, even if he has been used sparingly so far.

On the flanks, Sarri could also protect two players who have recently returned from injury, Gustav Isaksen and Mattia Zaccagni. If both are rested, the wing spots could open for Matteo Cancellieri and Tijjani Noslin, giving Lazio fresh legs and a chance to inject pace after a run of matches where the final third has looked too predictable.

There is also a question mark around Boulaye Dia. He is mentioned as a possible option for the attack, but his availability is reportedly threatened by flu symptoms, which could rule him out of meaningful minutes.

Team selection is shaped heavily by injuries. Toma Bašić and Mario Gila are both expected to miss the trip because they have not returned to full group training. Lazio are also without Pedro, Samuel Gigot, and Nicolò Rovella, with the midfielder having undergone surgery earlier this week. The one clear positive update is that Manuel Lazzari has rejoined training, strengthening Sarri’s choices at full back.

At the back, Gila’s absence creates an opening. Patric and Oliver Provstgaard are competing for a starting role, unless Sarri decides to rest Alessio Romagnoli as well and field both defenders together. On the left side, Nuno Tavares and Luca Pellegrini are also in contention, while Adam Marušić is expected to keep his place on the right.

One more detail adds context to the difficulty of the fixture. Torino have just changed coach, appointing Roberto D’Aversa after dismissing Marco Baroni, so Lazio may face a side looking for an immediate reaction under new leadership.

In short, this looks like a classic Sarri rotation game. Lazio still need league points, but the club cannot afford to arrive against Atalanta with tired legs and limited options. The likely solution is a reshaped front line in Turin, a chance for Ratkov to stake his claim, and a test of whether Lazio’s secondary options can provide the edge that has been missing in recent weeks.