Riccardo Orsolini ruled out for three weeks as Bologna prepares to face Sassuolo.

Bologna vs. Sassuolo kicks off at 17:00 [GMT+1] on Sunday, September 5, at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara. Bologna sits in 15th place following a 1-0 loss to Atalanta on Monday night. The home side had succeeded in keeping La Dea out until stoppage time when they conceded in the 96th minute. “We have to move on from it, there’s no alternative. The 0-0 would’ve been disappointing, but it’s even worse having conceded that late on,” manager Domenico Tedesco said after the defeat. They head back home, hoping to pick up their maiden victory of the season and an end to back-to-back defeats. However, Bologna have drawn two of their last three home fixtures, though the head-to-head record gives Bologna an advantage. They have recorded three victories in their last six Serie A meetings with Sassuolo, while the visitors have struggled to consistently get positive results in this fixture. Sassuolo have won just one of their last nine Serie A clashes against Bologna, highlighting the difficulty they have faced in recent encounters. Bologna's recent home form has produced a number of closely fought matches. A 4—2—3—1 formation with Roberto Piccoli in attack is expected against the visitors. Riccardo Orsolini was substituted during the second half against Atalanta due to a problem sustained to the flexors in his left thigh and is ruled out for Sunday’s meeting with Sassuolo. According to an official statement from the club, his recovery time is expected to be around three weeks. Oussama El Azzouzi also trained separately from the squad and remains a doubt for this clash.

Sassuolo are faring much better since the start of the season, having recently picked a 2-1 victory last time out against Torino. They sit in 11th place with three points [LW]. However, they have suffered defeats in 80 percent of their previous five Serie A matches, meaning they have suffered defeat in four of those encounters. Their problems have also extended to their away performances, with Sassuolo currently on a run of three consecutive Serie A defeats on the road. That away sequence will be a major concern ahead of their trip to Bologna. The visitors will need to find a way to halt their losing run away from home while also overcoming a Bologna side that has dominated their recent Serie A meetings. Sassuolo's record of just one win in their last nine league clashes with Bologna further underlines the scale of the challenge. A 4—3—3 setup with Volpato, Sebastiano Esposito, and Armand Laurienté in attack is expected for this trip to Bologna.