New signings start at Loftus Road
Fiorentina manager Fabio Grosso has handed starting debuts to five summer signings for the pre-season friendly against Queens Park Rangers in West London. The Serie A outfit face the Championship side at Loftus Road with a revamped squad featuring several high-profile additions.
The Italian club have conducted extensive business during the transfer window, recruiting Radu Dragusin, Viery, Alex Jimenez, Arthur Atta and Christ Inao Oulai on permanent deals. All five feature from the opening whistle. Marco Brescianini and Giovanni Fabbian, who spent portions of last season on loan in Tuscany, also start after securing permanent contracts.
Between the posts, former Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea anchors a defence that includes Dodo at right-back. Italy international Moise Kean leads the line, with Iceland forward Albert Gudmundsson operating in support. The selection suggests Grosso is trialling his preferred defensive unit, with Viery partnering Dragusin in central defence.
Confirmed line-ups
Fiorentina deploy a 4-3-2-1 formation. De Gea is protected by a back four of Dodo, Dragusin, Viery and Jimenez. Ndour and Oulai join Brescianini in the engine room, whilst Atta and Gudmundsson supply ammunition for Kean.
QPR counter with a 4-3-3 shape. Charles occupies the goalkeeper’s jersey, with Mbengue, Dunne, Edwards and Kemper across the back. Madsen, Vale and Chair comprise the midfield three, whilst Smyth, Burrell and Kone lead the offensive effort.
Summer schedule
The fixture represents Fiorentina’s second outing of pre-season following a 1-0 triumph over Gubbio at Viola Park. That narrow victory provided an early fitness test before the squad travelled to England.
For QPR, the meeting offers a stern examination against continental opposition as they prepare for the Championship campaign. The west London club will assess how their squad copes against the technical quality of Serie A opponents.
Grosso will monitor his new acquisitions’ integration closely, particularly the understanding between De Gea and an unfamiliar backline, and the chemistry between Kean and Gudmundsson in the final third.