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Lazio will almost certainly be without Mattia Zaccagni for this Saturday’s derby against Roma after he suffered a ‘bad ankle sprain’ in the Coppa Italia semi-final.
The striker had started the match in Turin on Tuesday evening, but was forced off in the opening stages after a crunching Fabio Gatti sliding tackle.
He landed awkwardly and had to be substituted by Gustav Isaksen in the 2-0 defeat to Juventus.
“Zaccagni suffered a bad ankle sprain,” confirmed coach Igor Tudor in his press conference.
Chief Lazio medic doctor Fabio Roda provided more details to Lazio Style Channel.
“Zaccagni sustained a serious sprain to the left ankle, so he will have more tests for a more accurate diagnosis and prognosis in Rome.”
It is another blow for the Italy international, who already had to miss 20 games this season, including an ankle sprain in October 2023.
There were also updates on some of the other Lazio players going into this weekend’s Derby della Capitale against their arch-rivals Roma.
“Patric had just returned from a long lay-off, so was a little short on energy and it was decided to substitute him at half-time, but there was no medical issue.
“Manuel Lazzari has a low-grade lesion to the left calf. He has already started physiotherapy, tomorrow we will repeat the tests to have a more accurate idea of when he can return to the field.”
The Biancocelesti are also going to be without goalkeeper Ivan Provedel, while midfielder Nicolò Rovella is a major doubt too after his long lay-off.
The positive news should be the return of Luca Pellegrini, who was suspended for both Serie A and Coppa Italia clashes with Juventus.
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Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is in peak off-season mode, enjoying his time off while staying ready for his upcoming 23rd season in the NBA, eighth with Los Angeles. James averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists for the Lakers last season. On a separate note, his youngest son, Bryce James, is preparing for his first collegiate season with the Arizona Wildcats, where he committed early in 2025. Before this new chapter, he spent most of his high school basketball career playing for Sierra Canyon, where he won a State Division 1 title in his senior year. Meanwhile, upon Bryce's first trip back home since leaving for college, James was taken aback by his appearance. In the Lakers star's latest Instagram story, he welcomes home his youngest son after his first stint away at Arizona. Within the video, James is overcome with excitement as he points out Bryce's latest physical change to his 159 million followers: his beard. "Y'all see his beard? Oh my goodness!" said James. Born in 2007, Bryce is just 18 years old and stands 6'6 tall ahead of his first season with the Wildcats. Primarily playing the shooting guard position, he's poised for a bright future under legendary coach Tommy Lloyd, who is entering his fifth season with the team. Lloyd's 61 wins in his first two seasons with Arizona are an NCAA Division 1 record. The Wildcats will open their season on November 3 against the defending champion Florida Gators at a neutral site in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Perhaps Superman Paul Skenes has found his kryptonite
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