Franco Mastantuono is back in Florence after almost twenty days with Argentina, and everything points to him being in the frame to start at Genoa on Saturday. His international spell was short on minutes, with 11 against Benin, 34 against Bolivia and 45 with a goal against Burkina Faso. [Paolo Vanoli] said the final decision will come only after a check on the pitch.
Vanoli's selection call
The coach's caution makes sense, but the case for Mastantuono is straightforward enough. He has five Serie A appearances, 381 minutes and three goals for Fiorentina this season, plus one Coppa Italia outing. That is already a real return for a player who has not been eased in as a fringe option.
The trip to Genoa also has a league edge to it. Fiorentina are 17th with four points from five matches, while Genoa sit 19th with one point from five. At Genoa vs Fiorentina, Vanoli needs players who can change the game early, and Mastantuono has given him that in the opening weeks.
Sports Mole summed up Fiorentina's change under Vanoli well, saying his return brought back-to-back wins and seven goals after a disastrous start under Fabio Grosso. Mastantuono fits into that run as one of the attacking pieces already trusted to produce. The only question left is whether the fitness check keeps him in the XI, or sends him to the bench for one more night.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →
