Lazio - injuries & suspensions October 2026

Ninth place in Serie A and a defeat in the Coppa Italia final — that is how Lazio ended last season. The 0:2 loss to Inter meant the Romans failed to qualify for European competition. The club underwent further changes over the summer. Gennaro Gattuso replaced Maurizio Sarri, while several key players left the team, including Mario Gila, Alessio Romagnoli and Ivan Provedel. Lazio do not have significant funds available for transfers, so they had to look for players who could be signed without paying high fees.

Gattuso tasked with transforming the team

Gennaro Gattuso took charge of Lazio in June 2026. He previously worked at Milan, Napoli and Valencia, among other clubs, and also managed the Italy national team. His teams are known for their high intensity and aggressive pressing. In Rome, his first task will be to improve results, as ninth place fell short of the club’s expectations. Several players left over the summer, and the new arrivals will need to be integrated into the team. With a limited budget, Lazio could not afford expensive signings, so some of the responsibility will fall to players who were already here in previous seasons.

Major changes in defence

Alfonso Pedraza joined Lazio after his contract with Villarreal expired. The Spaniard can play as a left-back or wing-back. Danilho Doekhi, formerly of Union Berlin, is the new centre-back. The club have also loaned Josip Šutalo from Ajax, while Diogo Leite is another option in the heart of defence.

Reinforcements were needed because Lazio lost several players from that unit. Mario Gila moved to Milan, Alessio Romagnoli joined Al-Sadd, and Ivan Provedel signed for Inter. Christos Mandas, who has returned from a loan spell, is expected to replace him in goal. Gattuso must now decide how to set up his rebuilt defence.

Will Frattesi return to regular action?

One of Lazio’s most interesting moves was the loan signing of Davide Frattesi from Inter, with an option to buy. The Italy midfielder is capable of making dynamic runs into the box and looking for shooting opportunities. In Gattuso’s team, he could be given a role that allows him to get involved in attacking moves more often.

Bruno Galassi also joined from Real Madrid. Nicolò Rovella, Danilo Cataldi and Kenneth Taylor remain in midfield, while Fisayo Dele-Bashiru is expected to add more physicality. Gattuso has several different player profiles at his disposal, but he will have to decide who best fits his system.

Pinamonti and Gudmundsson in attack

Lazio also looked for new options up front. Andrea Pinamonti arrived from Sassuolo to increase competition for the striker’s spot. Albert Gudmundsson, meanwhile, joined on loan from Fiorentina. The Icelander can play behind the main striker, but is also effective in other attacking roles. Boulaye Dia, who moved to Rennes, and Pedro both left the club.

Mattia Zaccagni, Gustav Isaksen, Tijjani Noslin and Matteo Cancellieri remain in the squad. Zaccagni can win one-on-one battles on the wing, while Isaksen makes good use of space. Gattuso will need to find a way for the new forwards and wingers to work together. Simply adding more attacking options will not be enough if the team continues to struggle in front of goal.

A return to European competition

Lazio want to put behind them a season that ended outside the European places. However, a change of manager and significant reshuffling in defence mean the start of the campaign could be uneven. Gattuso has several experienced players at his disposal, while Frattesi and Gudmundsson could give the team more attacking options. First, though, Lazio need to pick up points regularly in Serie A. Last season showed that even a good cup run is not enough if the team do not perform just as well in the league. A return to European competition remains the goal, but the Romans will have to earn it over the course of the season.