Fiorentina return to action this evening in a Coppa Italia Round of 16 tie against Empoli, just three days after Edoardo Bove’s collapse on the pitch.
Fiorentina host Empoli at the Artemio Franchi this evening. It’s the first match since Bove’s health scare on Sunday.
The Italian midfielder is still in intensive care at Careggi Hospital but has been awake and alert since Monday. Fiorentina were willing to postpone this evening’s fixture, but the 22-year-old reportedly convinced his teammates to play the match.
Coach Raffaele Palladino is expected to rotate his squad, resting Moise Kean and David De Gea. Rolando Mandragora is serving a one-match ban.
Some regular Empoli starters, including goalkeeper Davis Vasquez and left wing-back Giuseppe Pezzella, will also rest at the Franchi this evening.
The match will kick off at 21:00 CET (19:00 GMT).
The winner will face Juventus or Cagliari in the quarter-finals.
Milan and Bologna were the first teams to qualify for the next round, beating Sassuolo and Monza, respectively.
Fiorentina (4-2-3-1): Terracciano; Dodo, Pongracic, Comuzzo, Parisi; Mandragora, Martinez Quarta; Ikone, Beltran, Sottil; Kouame.
Empoli (3-4-2-1): Seghetti; Tosto, Ismajli, Mariannucci; Sambia, Henderson, Maleh, Cacace, Ekong, Esposito, Colombo.
