Defender Marco Materazzi is battling to recover from a thigh muscle injury in time for Inter Milan's visit to Udinese on Sunday and help with the emergency caused by four suspensions.
Defenders Walter Samuel and Ivan Cordoba, and midfielders Sulley Muntari and Esteban Cambiasso are out and coach Jose Mourinho is banned from the dugout for three games for the controversial gesture he made at last week's draw with Sampdoria.
Should Materazzi be unable to play for the leaders, Mourinho may opt to field academy product Luca Caldirola in defence.
Inconsistent Udinese have injury problems with midfielders Gaetano D'Agostino and Christian Obodo, and forward Antonio Floro Flores, while defender Cristian Zapata is suspended.
Alexandre Pato is eyeing a Serie A-European double after scoring a late goal in Wednesday's 2-1 win at Fiorentina to lift AC Milan to second, four points behind Inter.
"We are just thinking about ourselves, about winning and picking up as many points as possible," the Brazilian forward told Friday's La Gazzetta dello Sport. "We want to win everything - Serie A and the Champions League."
Milan are without suspended French midfielder Mathieu Flamini for Sunday's home match against second-from-bottom Atalanta.
Third-placed AS Roma want to make up for the disappointment of being knocked out of the Europa League with Thursday's 3-2 home defeat against Panathinaikos by notching up their eighth consecutive Serie A win on Sunday at Napoli.
Strikers Francesco Totti and Luca Toni are expected to miss out again through injury, along with midfielder David Pizarro.
Defender Gianluca Grava is suspended for Napoli, who share fifth place with Palermo, while forward Fabio Quagliarella is a doubt with an ankle sprain.
Juventus said on Friday that Amauri would be sidelined for about 25 days with the thigh strain that forced the forward off early in Thursday's goalless draw with Ajax, which put the Turin club through to the Europa League last 16.
Juve, who have climbed back up to fourth after two laboured league wins, will also be without suspended midfielder Claudio Marchisio and several unfit players in Sunday's home game against Palermo.
