Serie A leaders Inter Milan travel to Catania Wednesday night in nervous mood after bans for striker Adriano and coach Jose' Mourino.
Adriano was suspended for three games for punching an opponent in Sunday's scrabbled win against Sampdoria while Mourinho got a one-game ban for insulting the referee.
The champions were slightly lucky to beat 15th-placed Sampdoria but they will be cheered that star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is back from suspension.
Second-placed Juventus, three points behind Inter, were perhaps even luckier to beat joint-7th-placed Fiorentina on Saturday and will be wary of their visit to 14th-placed Udinese Wednesday night since the Udine side hasn't won in 11 games.
''This is a unique chance to turn our season around,'' said Udinese coach Pasquale Marino.
The top two's recent stutters have boosted the hopes of third-placed AC Milan which hosts fifth-placed Genoa amid speculation David Beckham may decide to turn his loan from the LA Galaxy into a longer stay.
Milan, three points behind Juve, lost to Genoa on the second day of the season, a week after a shock opening-day defeat to Bologna, but those days are long gone.
Chairman Silvio Berlusconi's outfit is brimming with confidence and Brazil playmaker Kaka showed his value to the club after the collapse of his world record transfer to Manchester City with two goals in Sunday's 4-1 win at Bologna.
Beckham sealed the win with his first goal since arriving for a three-month loan before Christmas and his hard work in midfield has helped the club get over the season-threatening injury of Gennaro Gattuso.
''I'll be happy if Beckham stays but it's up to him,'' coach Carlo Ancelotti said Tuesday, while CEO Adriano Galliani said Milan would jump at the chance to keep the England midfielder while stressing that ''he's still a Galaxy player''.
Milan's mercurial summer signing Ronaldinho has struggled with fitness of late but will start against Genoa, club sources said Tuesday.
''We're sure he'll become the Dinho of old. All he needs to do is recover from the hard work we did in (Christmas training camp) in Dubai,'' they said.
Genoa has put in an impressive run to rise to within four points of Milan but star Argentine striker Diego Milito is an injury doubt for Wednesday's game.
AS Roma, three points behind Genoa in joint fifth, host joint-7th Palermo with inspirational skipper Francesco Totti back after a two-month injury.
Napoli, also fifth, travel to Fiorentina, a point below them, with both sides eager to recoup from recent losses.
Napoli have dropped out of the top four with two straight defeats and rumours have resurfaced about some players' playboy lifestyles.
Fiorentina, who had a goal mistakenly disallowed and a penalty denied against Juve, will again be without Romanian striker Adrian Mutu but Italy striker Alberto Gilardino will be keen to add to his 12 goal tally after being unlucky in Turin.
