Allegri Explains De Bruyne's Role at Napoli

Napoli head coach Max Allegri said he did not have to convince Kevin De Bruyne to play as a deep playmaker ahead of the Roma match. Allegri said he only told the Belgian that he would play in that position.

The match will be played at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona at 20.00 Turkish time. Amir Rrahmani is not in the squad due to flu symptoms, while Antonio Vergara has returned to the squad after an injury sustained during international duty.

De Bruyne and Scott McTominay will start together in the starting eleven for the first time this season in Serie A. Allegri said he has given three players in midfield a role and that they can play freely. He noted that Anguissa provides balance, while McTominay is more attack-oriented than the other two.

Despite Napoli winning 4-3 against Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League, the mood within the team is reported to be tense. The team is trying to close the gap on the league leaders after losing 3-1 to Venezia last week. Allegri stressed that shortcomings in winning the ball back and in quickly closing down opponents in key moments changed the result.