Nigeria’s Dele-Bashiru set to beak Sarri’s midfield curse as Lazio face Como in Serie A opener

Fisayo Dele-Bashiru is expected to make his Serie A debut under Maurizio Sarri when Lazio open their campaign away to Como on Sunday, with the former Chelsea boss ready to hand the Nigerian midfielder a starting role, Soccernet.ng reports.

The 24-year-old star was used sparingly last season under Marco Baroni, but Sarri has been impressed with his pre-season form and intends to test him alongside Nicolò Rovella and Mattéo Guendouzi in a new-look midfield.

Dele-Bashiru’s selection, however, comes with a warning.

According to Cittaceleste, Sarri’s history with debuting midfielders has been unforgiving. In 2021, Jean-Daniel Akpa-Akpro started against Empoli but was hooked at half-time and only featured three more times that season.

The following year, Toma Bašić was handed a starting spot against Bologna before quickly sliding down the pecking order. Most recently, Daichi Kamada began brightly with four consecutive starts in 2023, only to be frozen out for three months before Sarri’s resignation.

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The challenge for Dele-Bashiru is to avoid becoming the latest midfielder to suffer that fate. A poor performance in Como could see veterans like Matías Vecino or promising youngster Mohamed Belahyane move ahead of him in the rotation.

Sarri backs Dele-Bashiru to excel

Sarri, though, believes the Nigerian has the right profile to succeed. Strong, mobile, and versatile, Dele-Bashiru has shown in training that he can carry the ball forward and provide attacking thrust. His physicality and ability to press fit neatly into the coach’s tactical demands, particularly as Lazio look to rebuild their midfield after a summer without major signings.

Born in Manchester to Nigerian parents, Dele-Bashiru came through Manchester City’s academy before moving to Sheffield Wednesday, and later building his reputation in Turkey with Hatayspor.

Lazio brought him to Serie A last season, but he spent much of the campaign adjusting. This term, Sarri wants him to take on a bigger role and provide depth in a squad that struggled with consistency in the middle of the park.

The trip to Como will be the first true test of whether Dele-Bashiru can meet those expectations and break a cycle that has undone his predecessors.