Hojlund looks to fill Napoli void as pressure mounts on Serie A rivals

Napoli will aim to extend their flawless start to the Serie A season when they host promoted Pisa on Monday, with Danish forward Rasmus Hojlund poised to lead the line once again after making an immediate impact in his debut.

Hojlund, who joined Napoli during the close season following a turbulent spell at Manchester United, scored in the champions' 3-1 victory at Fiorentina on Saturday, seamlessly stepping into Antonio Conte's system in place of the injured Romelu Lukaku.

Since Lukaku is expected to be sidelined until December, Hojlund should have ample opportunity to cement his place in the squad.

With Napoli sitting atop the table with three wins from three matches, Monday’s fixture against Pisa appears straightforward.

The visitors have managed just one point this season, and the only uncertainty lies in whether Conte will rotate his squad to preserve fitness of his players.

Elsewhere in Serie A, Inter Milan will look to bounce back from consecutive league defeats when they face Sassuolo at home on Sunday.

Cristian Chivu's side opened their campaign with a promising win against Torino but have since faltered, losing to Udinese and Juventus. A 2-0 midweek Champions League win against Ajax Amsterdam in Amsterdam has lifted spirits, but pressure mounts as Inter seek to regain form domestically.

Key striker Lautaro Martinez remains a doubt for Sunday’s match after missing the Ajax encounter with a back issue. His absence would be a blow for Chivu’s men, who sit 11th in the league standings.

City rivals AC Milan face a challenging trip to fourth-placed Udinese on Saturday. Milan, currently fifth, trail Udinese by one point and are grappling with several injuries.

Manager Massimiliano Allegri is monitoring fitness concerns for Mike Maignan, Rafael Leao and Strahinja Pavlovic, while summer signing Ardon Jashari remains sidelined with a leg injury sustained in August.

Second-placed Juventus will travel to Hellas Verona on Saturday, aiming to continue their strong start under Igor Tudor.

The Turin side have scored eight goals across their last two matches in all competitions, dispelling pre-season concerns over their attacking firepower.

Serbian striker Dusan Vlahovic, who scored twice off the bench in the 4-4 draw with Borussia Dortmund, may once again start on the bench, with Tudor favouring the trio of Jonathan David, Lois Openda and Kenan Yildiz.

Promoted Cremonese have emerged as the surprise package of the season, sitting third with seven points from three matches. They host Parma on Sunday, and new signing Jamie Vardy, who made his debut with a cameo against Verona last week, could be in contention for a place in the starting line-up.