Serie A preview: Sampdoria prepare for Torino test

21 September 2012 08:37

Sampdoria are set to face Torino without midfielder Andrea Poli in the next round of Serie A after the 22-year-old injured his thigh.

Poli tore a thigh muscle in Sampdoria's 3-2 victory over Pescara and scans this week have revealed he will miss a month of football.

Head coach Ciro Ferrara will be hopeful the left winger's absence will not derail the club's fine start to the season.

Sampdoria have begun their return season in Serie A with three consecutive victories and would be equal on points with league-leaders Juventus but for a one-point penalty as part of Italy's match-fixing scandal.

The Genoa-based club host Torino on Sunday to complete successive games against the other two recently promoted sides in Serie A, and Sampdoria will most likely rely on their defence in a bid to secure victory.

Sampdoria have conceded one goal per game, although Torino are in even better defensive form having been breached just twice.

Juventus will host 13th-placed Chievo Verona on Saturday as they try to extend their unbeaten league streak to 43 games, which stretches back to May 15, 2011.

Napoli and Lazio are the other sides still with a 100 percent record and will try to maintain it against Catania and Genoa respectively.

Catania will have to be wary of Lazio's twin-pronged attack of Miroslav Klose and Hernanes, who have both scored three goals out of the team's total of seven so far this season.

AC Milan's poor start to the season continued in the Champions League mid-week, as they drew 0-0 at home against Belgium's Anderlecht, but Massimiliano Allegri will hope they can turn it around away to Udinese this week.

Having lost Kwadwo Asamoah and Mauricio Isla to Juventus during the off-season, Udinese are struggling and have yet to register a victory this season.

In other Serie A matches, Atalanta host Palermo, Pescara head to Bologna and Inter face Siena.