Udinese are in danger of slipping into the Serie A relegation zone as they travel to face second-bottom Parma in Wednesday's gameweek-nine contest at Stadio Ennio Tardini.

Alberto Gilardino has overseen three consecutive defeats since replacing Carlos Cuesta last month and hopes to end that run against Kosta Runjaic, whose position in Udine is also under threat as Le Zebrette seek to halt their six-match losing sequence.

Match preview

Just as Parma appeared set to go 270 minutes without scoring under Gilardino, Simone Lontani found the net fortuitously against joint leaders Lazio when his attempted cross went in off Christos Mandas's post.

That strike was the Emilians' fifth league goal of the season, comfortably the fewest in the division after eight matches, while the second-bottom hosts have conceded 15 at the other end.

If Gilardino is to take any positives from the 2-1 loss in the capital, it must be his team's strong showing for 45 minutes at the Olimpico, where they held the Biancocelesti at half time before conceding twice within eight minutes before the hour mark to all but seal their fate.

Seeking encouragement from the defeat, the former striker will hope to lift his dejected players for Wednesday as the Crusaders strive to climb out of the relegation zone with the right result.

Victory for the 19th-placed side could lift them out of the bottom three, although that outcome depends on Fiorentina dropping points against Atalanta in Florence.

Facing the beleaguered Runjaic, who may be on borrowed time in Udine, could be timely for the Emilians as they attempt to inflict a seventh consecutive defeat on the Little Zebras.

When Udinese began the season unbeaten in four matches across all competitions, winning twice in the Coppa Italia and collecting four points from six in the top flight, few would have predicted their ongoing malaise.

Unfortunately, Le Zebrette have since suffered six straight defeats and failed to score in three, including the last two, which have brought 3-0 and 2-0 home losses to Lecce and Milan respectively.

Those two setbacks have highlighted the team's decline in front of goal, having scored in each of their opening six matches across all competitions, including a draw with Como and three times in a 5-3 loss to defending champions Inter Milan.

However, Runjaic's men have now fired blanks in three of their last four matches, losing all four during that period to leave them on the verge of slipping into the dreaded bottom three.

Udinese have competed in Serie A for 32 years, but another setback in Emilia-Romagna could force Gino Pozzo to take decisive action regarding the club's managerial position.

Parma Serie A form:

Udinese Serie A form:

Team News

Nesta Elphege (illness), Pontus Almqvist (calf) and Hans Nicolussi Caviglia (thigh) are injured and unavailable for Parma on Wednesday; Gilardino will make a late decision on Lautaro Valenti, who has been absent since mid-September but is nearing a return.

Parma are the league's lowest scorers, with only three players finding the net for the Emilians: David Romero and Lontani have struck twice apiece, while the injured Almqvist has scored once.

While Udinese are in a considerably healthier goalscoring position, with six different players finding the net for the Little Zebras in Serie A, only Jurgen Ekkelenkamp has scored more than twice, netting three.

Hassane Kamara enters gameweek nine as the only other player in the squad with more than one goal, a disappointing development after Keinan Davis scored 10 and the trio of Nicolo Zaniolo, Arthur Atta and Ekkelenkamp combined for 15 last season.

However, Davis has yet to add to his Coppa Italia goal in August, Zaniolo has made only four appearances across all competitions and Atta has departed for Fiorentina.

On the injury front, Alessandro Zanoli and Oumar Solet are touch-and-go due to muscle complaints, while David Alaba (calf), Vakoun Bayo (thigh) and Idrissa Guey (ankle) are definitely unavailable.

Parma possible starting lineup:

Corvi; Diego Carlos, Troilo, Drobnic; Delprato, Sierro, Keita, Valeri; Toure, Lontani; Romero

Udinese possible starting lineup:

Okoye; Abankwah, Kabasele, Ebosse; Vojvoda, Karlstrom, Piotrowski, Kamara; Ekkelenkamp, Chakvetadze; Davis

We say: Parma 1-0 Udinese

Parma's second-half collapse against Lazio was disappointing, although their competitive opening 45 minutes offered more encouragement than Udinese have shown in recent weeks.

Home advantage could therefore prove decisive as the Emilians condemn the Little Zebras to a seventh successive defeat and potentially end Runjaic's tenure.

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