Previews: Beckham likely to retain place
ROME - Brief news ahead of this weekend's matches in Serie A:
AC Milan's injuries mean David Beckham is likely to be in the starting lineup again for Sunday's big match at Juventus after playing well in Wednesday's 5-2 win over Genoa, the first match of his second loan stint from Los Angeles Galaxy.
Second-placed Milan, eight points behind city rivals Inter with a game in hand, will probably be without Alexandre Pato because of the thigh injury that caused him to miss the Genoa match.
Dutch midfielder Clarence Seedorf and Italy full-back Gianluca Zambrotta will be out for 10 to 15 days with thigh and calf problems respectively, the club said on their website.
Juventus, a point behind Milan in third place, are also without a number of unfit players as well as suspended defender Martin Caceres.
Forward David Trezeguet has joined an injury list that includes goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and winger Mauro Camoranesi.
The club said Trezeguet's ankle problem would sideline him for around six weeks.
Striker Vincenzo Iaquinta, who dismissed media reports linking him to Chelsea, is in training after knee surgery but is not expected to play on Sunday.
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Amauri could join fellow Brazilian Diego up front with Alessandro Del Piero on the bench again.
Inter captain Javier Zanetti may shift from midfield to defence for Saturday's home game against bottom club Siena to cover for Cristian Chivu, who fractured his skull in Wednesday's 1-0 win at Chievo Verona.
Club officials said the Romania international was recovering well after surgery but it was too early to say when he would play again.
Mario Balotelli, who scored the winner against Chievo, is suspended but midfielders Dejan Stankovic and Thiago Motta can return after serving one-match bans.
Luca Toni will make his first start for fifth-placed AS Roma in Saturday's home game against Chievo, coach Claudio Ranieri told reporters.
The forward, on loan at the Rome club after falling out of favour at Bayern Munich, was expected to start Wednesday's 2-2 draw at Cagliari with Francesco Totti out injured but he went on only in the closing stages.
Atalanta will be in the hands of academy coach Valter Bonacina for Sunday's visit to Palermo while the second-from-bottom side look for a permanent replacement for Antonio Conte, who quit on Thursday.
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