Lazio head coach Marco Baroni is a fan of Super Eagles star Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, but has shed some light on the midfielder's recent absences from the starting XI.
Baroni made these remarks during a press conference on Tuesday as he prepares for their Europa League clash against Dynamo Kyiv.
The Serie A team is set to face their Ukrainian Premier League rivals at the Volksparkstadion on Wednesday evening.
Baroni stated that while he considers the Manchester City youth product an asset, his wide range of abilities has made finding his optimal role challenging.
Strategic adaptations for Fisayo Dele-Bashiru in Lazio structure
The experienced manager, who was quoted by Calciomercato, also highlighted two strategic roles where he believes Fisayo Dele-Bashiru could excel in the team's lineup for the upcoming match.
“He should be built for our midfield. He can work in midfield or behind the striker.”
Explaining Dele-Bashiru's recent exclusions from the squad for the last two fixtures, Baroni revealed that the midfielder has been concentrating on refining his positioning through video analysis.
“He's also working with the help of videos to study the movements well. He's finding his place in that (midfield) role,” he noted.
The 23-year-old Nigerian made waves this summer when he signed with Lazio, initially arriving on loan from Turkish club Hatayspor, with the option to buy. The midfielder had an impressive campaign in the Super Lig last term, scoring eight goals and providing five assists in 36 matches.
Dele-Bashiru quickly made his mark in Italy, featuring in the entire match in Lazio’s 3-1 victory over Venezia on the opening day of the season.
However, despite this impressive debut, the Nigeria midfielder has been relegated to the bench for the last two games.
