Herons looking for a strategic win to stay in the running for direct access to the playoffs. Fabo, Sant'Antimo and sixth place in the sights. Benites is out, Chiarini is in serious doubt

Rolling south. Resumes the championship , Fabo, on an open streak of two-game victories, heads south to try to resume its pursuit of sixth place, the last one that guarantees the postseason without passing through the possible play-in trap. This afternoon's away game at 18:XNUMX pm in Casalnuovo di Napoli, a one-day stronghold of the Malvin Sant'Antimo, however, it promises to be complex both from the point of view of mileage (the fourth longest after Ruvo di Puglia, San Severo and Salerno), but above all from a technical point of view, because the training of coaches Marco Gandini in the last seven games it has always won with the exception of the defeat suffered by PalaCarrara against La T Gema Montecatini and has been able to transform a home sports hall that is often itinerant into a hotbed of points. Beating PSA on its own parquet was not easy for anyone and the Herons they know something about it, given that in a triumphal season like the one on 7 December 2023 at the PalaPuca it represented one of the most stinging defeats.

The task of the Herons, already difficult in itself, is further complicated by a break that has not done its job: those coming from an injury have not yet fully recovered and as if that were not enough other players have stopped. Translated: in addition to the long-term Mastrangelo, for whom a return to the field remains a mirage, there is a Chiera still in doubt and a Benites who will almost certainly not be in the game: "'Ben' has dragged a muscular problem he picked up in the last match against San Severo through these ten days of break and has never trained - reveals coach Federico Barsotti – In consideration of this and other problems, we have not worked as we wanted."

The approach to the challenge against the Neapolitans, whose main strengths are Lucas' play and the verticality of the big men Lenti and Ruggiero, may not have been the best but with six days to go and only 12 points left to earn, Natali and his teammates can no longer afford to make any missteps: "We are aware that we are facing a healthy opponent but we are in a phase of the season where we need to earn as many points as possible, so we will go all the way - comments Barsotti -. I have a lot of faith in the boys because despite their less than stellar performances, they have always shown a great desire to win".

Filippo Palazzoni