Inter Milan and Napoli set for early Serie A test as both unveil reshaped squads

Inter Milan will host Napoli on Saturday in a meeting between two ambitious sides seeking to make an early statement in the third round of Serie A.

Both clubs have made significant changes to their squads during the summer, adding extra intrigue to a fixture featuring two teams with title ambitions. The expected line-ups reflect several of those alterations, although Inter still have one injury doubt to resolve before kick-off.

Inter Milan

Inter Milan have seen a number of experienced players leave during the close season. Denzel Dumfries, Francesco Acerbi, Stefan de Vrij, Matteo Darmian and Yann Sommer have all departed, while Davide Frattesi and Kristjan Asllani are also no longer part of the squad.

The Lombardy club have moved to rebuild their team by making Manuel Akanji’s signing permanent. They have also brought in Ivan Provedel, John Stones, Djed Spence, Aleksandar Stankovic and Curtis Jones.

Spence remains uncertain for Saturday’s match, but Inter Milan can rely on captain Lautaro Martinez to lead the attack. Francesco Pio Esposito has started the club’s opening two matches and has already contributed one goal and one assist.

Marcus Thuram is still working his way back to full fitness, meaning Esposito could again feature alongside Martinez. In midfield, Hakan Calhanoglu has begun the campaign strongly, scoring twice in the opening two games and emerging as one of Inter Milan’s players in form.

The probable Inter Milan XI is:

Goalkeeper: Ivan Provedel

Defenders: Manuel Akanji, Alessandro Bastoni, Benjamin Pavard

Midfielders: Federico Dimarco, Nicolo Barella, Hakan Calhanoglu, Andy Diouf, Piotr Zielinski

Forwards: Lautaro Martinez, Francesco Pio Esposito

Napoli

Napoli have also used the summer to alter their squad as they attempt to remain competitive in the Serie A title race.

The Italian champions retain a group that combines considerable experience with attacking players capable of deciding important matches. Their established senior figures are expected to play a central role in a demanding away fixture against Inter Milan.

Napoli will look to draw on their main players at Giuseppe-Meazza, where the depth of their squad and the experience of footballers accustomed to major matches could prove valuable.

The probable Napoli XI is:

Goalkeeper: Alex Meret

Defenders: Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Benoit Badiashile, Amir Rrahmani, Mathias Olivera

Midfielders: Stanislav Lobotka, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Kevin De Bruyne

Forwards: David Neres, Rasmus Højlund, Noa Lang

The match will be Napoli’s third-round fixture in the Italian championship and provides an early test of both teams’ ambitions after their summer rebuilding.

Odds published by the betting company 1xBet list Inter Milan as favourites at 1.63 to win. A draw is priced at 3.80, while Napoli are listed at 5.50.