Sarri: Zaccagni not at 100 per cent, but Lazio prefer to start him

Maurizio Sarri, the head coach of Lazio, has shed light on the decision to include Mattia Zaccagni in the starting lineup for their match against Fiorentina, despite the player not being at his full fitness level. He also commented on Patric's surprising deployment in a midfield role.

The game is scheduled to commence at the Stadio Artemio Franchi at 19:45 UK time.

There were unexpected inclusions in the starting XI for this evening's fixture. Both Zaccagni and Patric were anticipated to be fit only for the bench. However, they have been placed directly into the lineup.

Sarri explains Lazio's team selections

"Zaccagni is not yet at 100 per cent," Sarri admitted in an interview with DAZN Italia. "In fact, bringing him on in the second half might have presented us with difficulties in managing our substitutions. Therefore, we decided to start him and observe how long he can play."

Patric, typically a defender, has recently been the preferred choice in midfield due to the absence of players such as Adam Marusic, Daniel Maldini, Ivan Provedel, Mario Gila, Samuel Gigot, and Nicolò Rovella.

"Danilo Cataldi is not in optimal condition, so we opted to utilize Patric and provide Cataldi with the necessary time to fully recover. We are hopeful he will be back next week," Sarri added.

This is a crucial game for Fiorentina, as a victory would extend their lead over the relegation zone to eight points with only six rounds remaining.

"That is of no concern to us. We must concentrate on maintaining our own trajectory, giving our absolute best until the final minute of the last match. I hope the team demonstrates that same attitude again this evening."

Sarri is well-known for his enthusiasm for cycling. When asked if he watched the prestigious Paris-Roubaix race yesterday, he replied, "I had a very demanding training session in the morning, with 10 players unavailable. However, I did catch the end of the race on the train."