AC Milan are looking to resurgent striker Alberto Gilardino to help them climb the Serie A table in Sunday's big match at home to Roma.
Milan's dismal start to the season including last week's home defeat by lowly Empoli has left them with just ten points from eight games, exactly half the tally of cross-city rivals and leaders Inter.
But Gilardini's brace of Champions League goals against Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday night, following a couple he bagged against Lazio two weeks ago, has left the club hoping he has rediscovered the touch for which Chairman Silvio Berlusconi paid Parma a small fortune two years ago.
Coach Carlo Ancelotti said Friday he had been expecting 'Gila' to come good.
"He always struggles a bit at the start of the season. Then, when autumn comes, he hits top form".
Milan's jubilant CEO Adriano Galliani said he was sure the Italy striker was back to his goal-getting best.
"We've found (Oliver) Bierhoff," he quipped, referring to Milan's past German hero who was as deadly with his head as Gilardino showed twice against Shakhtar.
Roma are fourth in the league, five points behind Inter after a 4-4 goalfest against promoted Napoli that raised questions about their defence.
Club icon Francesco Totti took an ankle knock in Tuesday's Champions League win over Sporting Lisbon but is desperate to be back to show Roma can still mix it with the big boys - especially after a 4-1 home loss to Inter and a 2-2 home draw against Juventus.
Inter is in injury trouble again as it faces a trip to joint-fifth Palermo on Sunday, with Marco Materazzi not yet ready to return from a thigh problem and Dejan Stankovic suffering ankle niggles after Tuesday's 2-1 win at CSKA Moscow.
Injury-prone France great Patrick Viera is down again, this time with a calf strain, and some say the big-spending club is now considering reaching into its pockets again - hopefully for Chelsea's Frank Lampard.
In the meantime Cristian Chivu and Maicon have returned after Champions bans and Zlatan Ibrahimovic - Serie A joint top scorer with Totti and Juve's David Trezeguet - will lead the line alongside recovering Brazil striker Adriano.
Juve, in second place on 17 points, can briefly join Inter if they beat Napoli in Naples Saturday night.
Alessandro Del Piero is as sharp as ever - as he showed with a poacher's strike against Genoa last week - and Vincenzo Iaquinta should be back to partner Trezeguet after a lengthy bout of the flu.
Fiorentina, who thrashed Siena last time out to go third on 16 points, will have their work cut out to stay close to the leaders at joint-fifth Genoa on Sunday night.
Sunday also sees what is already being billed as a "relegation play-off" as third-bottom Parma (6 points) host table-propping Livorno (2).
