Troubled Milanese look to bounce back in Serie A

Troubled title favourites Inter and AC Milan will look to kickstart their campaigns this weekend as both try to overcome unimpressive starts in Serie A. Inter sit just one place and one point above the relegation zone with Milan only a point and two places ahead of them after five matches. Both are already a considerable distance behind table-toppers Juventus, and neither Milan club's position does their early season form a disservice, with both looking vulnerable in defence and profligate in attack. But while Milan can at least look forward to the return of a number of injured stars, such as Philippe Mexes and Robinho, Inter have actually lost several other players to the treatment room. And with a tricky tie away to Catania to prepare for on Saturday, Inter could do with all the resources they have. Diego Forlan and Coutinho are out along with Thiago Motta, while goalkeeper Julio Cesar faces a race against time to be fit. Striker Giampaolo Pazzini should be fit but playmaker Wesley Sneijder is unlikely to be risked. In addition, centre-back Andrea Ranocchia and midfielder Joel Obi are both suspended. What's more, while most of Catania's players will have been resting for two weeks, the majority of Inter's have been travelling all over the world on international duty. Coach Claudio Ranieri -- who has had a one-match ban for being sent to the stands in the bad-tempered defeat to Napoli two weeks ago overturned -- faces a challenging task in trying to help the team rediscover the form that took them to five consecutive titles before Milan dethroned them last season. Milan's problems look to be easing with French centre-back Mexes soon to be available and both Robinho and Luca Antonini expected to be fit for Saturday's visit of Palermo. "I'm well, I'm happy, I've recovered, I'm training with the team and I hope to start helping out my team-mates as soon as the next game," Robinho told the in-house Milan Channel. "When I first felt pain in August I didn't think this injury would take so long. "I've never had big injuries in my career but this time it was, although now it's behind me. "I can't wait to play at the San Siro and to start winning again with the team." On Sunday, leaders Juventus face a tricky tie away to Chievo as they look to build on their fine performance in the 2-0 defeat of Milan last time out. Sporting director Giuseppe Marotta believes that result shows the team are heading in the right direction. "It's given us a lot of joy and the knowledge that we can play an influential role (this season) and shows that (coach Antonio) Conte's work is bearing fruit." The other big game of the weekend sees Lazio entertain Roma in the first Rome derby of the season on Sunday evening. The two sides are level on eight points and separated by a single goal's difference, with Roma, who have won the last five derbies, just ahead. The derby in Rome takes on special significance as fans of both clubs admit they would rather win the derby than the league. And Roma captain Francesco Totti, who will miss the game through injury, says the two teams' new players will soon find out how much this game means to the fans. "For me the derby is a different match to the others. I was born here and grew up here, playing against Lazio is a special match," he said. "But the three points are vital, for us winning for the fifth or sixth time (in a row) doesn't matter. "But for the youngsters who have just arrived at Roma, on Monday, should they win, they will understand what it means to win the derby." Fixtures (1300 GMT unless stated): Saturday Catania v Inter Milan (1600), AC Milan v Palermo (1845), Napoli v Parma (1845) Sunday Cesena v Fiorentina (1030), Atalanta v Udinese, Cagliari v Siena, Chievo v Juventus, Genoa v Lecce, Novara v Bologna, Lazio v Roma (1845)