Serie A preview: Ibra boost for Milan

Serie A leaders AC Milan will welcome back leading scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic from suspension for Sunday’s away clash with Fiorentina.

Still riding high after their 3-0 win over fierce rivals Inter Milan on Saturday, Massimiliano Allegri’s men have a three-point buffer over second-placed Napoli with seven games remaining, while Inter are now five points off the pace.

Ibrahimovic, who has 14 Serie A goals to his credit this season, is returning after a three-match ban for striking Bari defender Marco Rossi last month, and the Swede will join Brazilian Alexandre Pato up front for the league leaders.

Milan will be missing another striker, Antonio Cassano, through suspension, while Adrian Mutu is still suspended for Fiorentina.

The round of fixtures begins on Saturday with Inter looking to give their title push a shot in the arm after a tough week when they host Chievo Verona.

Following the disappointment of their 3-0 loss to Milan on Saturday, Inter crashed to a 5-2 Champions League quarter-final first-leg loss to Schalke at home on Tuesday.

Also on Saturday, fourth-placed Udinese, who are nine points behind Milan, look to keep their Champions League hopes going strong when they welcome sixth-placed Roma, who will be aiming to bounce back from their 2-0 loss to Juventus on Sunday.

On Sunday, Napoli will be hoping to keep the pressure on Milan when they travel to the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara to take on Bologna.

Walter MAzzarri’s side will be without suspended striker Edinson Cavani, who leads the Serie A goal-scoring charts with 25 – level with Udinese’s Antonio Di Natale.

Fifth-placed Lazio welcome Parma to the Stadio Olimpicio in Rome, and seventh-placed Juventus could leap-frog Roma into the Europa League places with a win at home against Genoa, provided Udinese take points off Roma.

Delio Rossi will be back at the helm of Palermo, just four weeks after his sacking, when they play host to a Cesena side desperate to escape the drop zone.

Rossi was dismissed in the wake of Palermo’s 7-0 mauling at the hands of Udinese on February 27, but was recalled to replace Serse Cosmi after the side suffered a 4-0 loss to Catania on Sunday.

Cagliari welcome Brescia, who are mired in the bottom three, Lecce travel to Sampdoria in a crunch tie for both relegation battlers, and bottom side Bari – who are almost certain to be playing in Serie B next season – meet Catania at the Stadio San Nicola.