AC Milan's drive towards a Champions League berth has been hit by injuries to key Brazilians Kaka' and Pato ahead of Sunday's home match against struggling Siena.
European Footballer of the Year Kaka', whose playmaking has helped lift the European champions out of their early-season doldrums, has succumbed to a niggling knee problem.
Boy wonder Pato, who has scored four goals since joining the club last month, is out with the ankle twist he collected after his winning goal at Fiorentina last week.
The win took Milan to within four points of the fourth-placed Florentines, their main rivals for Europe along with Udinese, who are level with Milan. Filippo Inzaghi is confident of regaining match fitness for Siena's visit but Ronaldo's long-time calf niggles have returned.
With Alberto Gilardino suspended, Inzaghi could be the only first-choice striker coach Carlo Ancelotti can count on. French youngster Yoann Gourcuff is expected to earn a rare start in a midfield still lacking the injured Gennaro Gattuso.
Milan are still 20 points behind runaway leaders Inter Milan, who have their own injury woes ahead of Sunday night's trip to 12th-placed Catania.
Centre-back Marco Materazzi picked up another knock in last week's 1-0 win against second-from-bottom Empoli while winger Luis Figo is still out with a broken leg.
Patrick Vieira is suspended after being sent off in the Empoli game, his first after a four-month stop with hamstring trouble. But the Inter squad is so strong that the France midfielder shouldn't be badly missed.
Second-placed Roma, eight behind Inter after a shock 3-0 loss at Siena, will be looking to get back on track at home to third-from-bottom Reggina on Saturday night.
Juventus, four behind Roma and four ahead of Fiorentina after a surprise home draw with bottom side Cagliari, will see keeper Gianluigi Buffon return from a back strain when they visit Udinese. Udinese, in sixth place because of a worse goal difference than Milan's, are missing Brazilian defender Felipe. So Italy Under-21 international Andrea Coda will be tasked with marking Juve dangerman David Trezeguet, Serie A's top scorer with 15 strikes from 21 games.
Juve fans had a brief scare when the France striker pulled a muscle in training this week but it turned out to be a false alarm.
The Turin giants will also have defender Giorgio Chiellini and winger Mauro Camoranesi back from injury.
Former Italy midfielder Cristiano Zanetti has served out a suspension while many pundits expect Mali midfielder Mohamed Sissoko to get his first start after his 8.2-million-pound move from Liverpool on January 29.
