Genoa coach Rolando Maran has another five players back in action, having recovered from coronavirus ahead of the match against Inter.

The Grifoni have revealed Maran could welcome back Francesco Cassata, Domenico Criscito, Mattia Destro, Lukas Lerager and Davide Zappacosta to training ahead of a busy schedule, including the Coppa Italia next week.

But this weekend, the Rossoblu prepare to face Antonio Conte’s Inter, who are struggling with absentees for COVID-19 themselves.

Davide Zappacosta reveals how he caught Covid and insists the Genoa outbreak could have happened to any other team.

“It all begun with Mattia Perin who had tested negative the day before he had symptoms,” the Chelsea loanee told L’Equipe.

“He was sent to isolation as soon as he tested negative but by that time, he had already contaminated someone in the dressing room.

Genoa have officially signed Davide Zappacosta from Chelsea and Marko Pjaca from Juventus, both on loan.

Chelsea right-back Zappacosta spent last season on loan at Roma, but only made eight competitive appearances, as he was struggling with a serious knee injury.

The 28-year-old now joins Genoa, who avoided relegation on the final day of last term.

Like Zappacosta, Pjaca has been on a series of loan moves and saw his career stalled by injuries.

Genoa have confirmed the arrivals of Davide Zappacosta and Marko Pjaca and are targeting ‘three more players’, but Mario Balotelli will not be one of them.

Reports suggested Genoa were close to agreeing loan deals for the pair, and sporting director Daniele Faggiano announced this afternoon that only medicals prevented them from formally signing.

“Zappacosta and Pjaca have already signed for us and they’re now in the process of completing their medicals. I believe in them,” he said at a press conference.

Davide Zappacosta is expected in Italy on Friday for a medical, completing his loan move from Chelsea to Genoa.

According to Sky Sport Italia and Sportitalia, the deal is done and will be a dry loan – that is, a loan without an option to buy at the end of the season.

These are the same terms that saw him join Roma last summer, making only nine competitive appearances for the club.

Linked with Atalanta and Fiorentina, Zappacosta has seemingly now agreed a move to Genoa instead.

Inter and Genoa are in negotiations for several transfers, involving Antonio Candreva, Andrea Ranocchia and Andrea Pinamonti.

Sky Sport Italia gave an outline of the various deals and the stages they are currently at.

Pinamonti had already been owned by Inter and was loaned to Genoa with obligation to buy for €19.5m last summer.

The idea had been for Inter to immediately buy him back, but that had been put in doubt, irritating the Grifone.

Pinamonti had a medical today with the Nerazzurri for a return to San Siro.

Chelsea right-back Davide Zappacosta is in negotiations for a loan move to Genoa, after his injury-ravaged spell at Roma.

The 28-year-old Italy international was sold to Chelsea from Torino for €25m in 2017, then loaned to Roma for the 2019-20 campaign.

He made just nine appearances for the club and had been linked with moves to Atalanta or Fiorentina.

However, Sky Sport Italia claim Zappacosta is now in advanced talks for a loan to another Serie A side, Genoa.

Cristiano Piccini passed his Atalanta medical and will complete the transfer from Valencia on loan with €3m option to buy.

According to Sky Sport Italia, the right-back who turns 28 later this month was given the all-clear in thorough tests.

These were necessary, because Piccini has not played since August 2019, when he fractured his kneecap.

It wasn’t his only serious problem, as back in January 2016 he tore his anterior cruciate ligament.

Atalanta are reportedly close to an agreement with Chelsea full-back Davide Zappacosta, looking to bring the Italian defender back to Bergamo on loan with an option to buy.

Zappacosta spent last season on loan with Roma but struggled with injuries during his return to Serie A in 2019-20.

Sky Sport Italia claims the 28-year-old, who left the Orobici in July 2015, could be set for a return to Bergamo this summer.