Riccardo Saponara returns for troubled Empoli as they welcome Antonio Cassano and Fabio Quagliarella’s Sampdoria.

It kicks off at 17.00 GMT, click here for a match preview.

The Tuscans have been stuttering badly of late, without a win in nine rounds and falling to four consecutive defeats.

Saponara missed last week’s 1-0 loss to Genoa with flu symptoms, but he’s back in the trequartista role behind Massimo Maccarone and Manuel Pucciarelli.

Riccardo Saponara returns for troubled Empoli as they welcome Antonio Cassano and Fabio Quagliarella’s Sampdoria.

It kicks off at 17.00 GMT, click here for a match preview.

The Tuscans have been stuttering badly of late, without a win in nine rounds and falling to four consecutive defeats.

Saponara missed last week’s 1-0 loss to Genoa with flu symptoms, but he’s back in the trequartista role behind Massimo Maccarone and Manuel Pucciarelli.

Lorenzo Tonelli continues to sit out his three-match ban for making the ‘handcuffs’ gesture when sent off, while Uros Cosic is injured.

Leandro Paredes and Piotr Zielinski are the talents to watch, as both were recently scouted by Liverpool.

Sampdoria seem to have finally found their footing under Montella, winning two on the bounce to scramble clear of the relegation zone, but they’re still not entirely out of the woods yet.

Carlos Carbonero is the only absentee, as Joaquin Correa returns from suspension and is on the bench.

Ricky Alvarez and Antonio Cassano support hitman Quagliarella with Roberto Soriano and ex-Inter wing-back Dodo.

Empoli have not beaten Sampdoria, home or away in all competition since a 2-1 Coppa Italia result here in the 2011-12 Coppa Italia.

The most recent League victory in this fixture was 2-0 in January 2007, followed by two defeats and a draw between Serie A and B.

Empoli: Skorupski; Laurini, Ariaudo, Costa, Mario Rui; Zielinski, Paredes, Croce; Saponara; Maccarone, Pucciarelli

Sampdoria: Viviano; Cassani, Ranocchia, Moisander; De Silvestri, Fernando, Soriano, Dodò; Alvarez, Cassano; Quagliarella

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