In a curious twist of transfer list fate, these two sides also met on Wednesday night in the same stadium for a 0-0 Coppa Italia draw.

Fabio Quagliarella and Emanuele Belardi were sent off and Emil Hallfredsson missed a penalty, Udinese eventually winning 8-7 in a shoot-out that required 20 spot-kicks!

“Reggina need points to get off the foot of the table, so it will be tough for us,” mused Marino.

“My team is in good shape and the mind is crucial in these moments. If we take on opponents with too relaxed an attitude, then we will certainly run into terrible problems.

“When there is a difference in quality on paper, you must still have a certain intensity and grit, otherwise that gap is reduced.”

Antonio Di Natale is still out of action with long-running flu and knee issues, but the Coach insists he won’t rotate the squad with an eye on next week’s trip to Fiorentina.

“We are accustomed to taking it one game at a time. I certainly won’t rest those on yellow cards, as I try to put out the best line-up every Sunday.

“Di Natale is an important player and we all know his worth. He always manages to make his mark, even when not 100 per cent fit. We hope he can recover as quickly as possible.”

The Udinese players one card away from a ban are Mauricio Isla, Damiano Ferronetti, Gokhan Inler and Simone Pepe.

Udinese squad: Belardi, Handanovic, Korprivec; Coda, Felipe, Domizzi, Ferronetti, Lukovic, Motta, Nef, Pasquale, Sala; D'Agostino, Inler, Isla, Obodo; Floro Flores, Pepe, Quagliarella. Sanchez.