A good news for Sergio Conceição: Santiago Gimenez, who had trained separately yesterday due to a minor ankle issue sustained while on international duty, has returned to full training with the squad.
The Mexican striker will be available for the Portuguese coach in the away match at the Maradona against Napoli, carrying extra motivation. After a blistering start to his adventure—scoring against Empoli, Verona, and Feyenoord—he has gone without a goal or convincing performances since February 18.
For the clash against Conte’s Napoli, Sergio Conceição will have a full squad at his disposal, except for the injured Emerson Royal and the suspended Yunus Musah. The big question ahead of the match is who will lead the attack between Tammy Abraham and Santiago Gimenez. The English striker trained well and with intensity during the international break under the former Porto coach and currently holds the edge over his direct competitor for a starting spot. Tammy needs to make up ground to convince the club to bet on him beyond his dry loan from Roma, which expires in July, as reported by Calciomercato.com.
More than just a challenge, it seems like an uphill battle, considering his six-million-euro salary does not align with his performances on the pitch: 8 goals across all competitions, with only one being decisive—the 3-2 winner against Inter in the Italian Super Cup.
In Serie A, for instance, he has scored just two goals, neither of which affected the final result. Unlike Gimenez, he has been more useful in link-up play and is in better physical condition. The final decision on the starting spot will only be made on Friday.
During the international break, Sergio Conceição also worked on a three-man defense, a new tactical approach that could be seen frequently in the final stretch of the season, though not in the upcoming match against Napoli. In front of Mike Maignan, the defensive line from right to left will consist of Kyle Walker, Malick Thiaw, Matteo Gabbia, and Theo Hernandez.
The second selection dilemma is in midfield, where Ruben Loftus-Cheek could edge out Warren Bondo at the last moment to form a defensive midfield duo with Youssouf Fofana. Creativity will be abundant in the attacking midfield with Christian Pulisic, Tijjani Reijnders, and Rafael Leao.
