Serie A can’t afford to stretch and yawn their way back onto the pitch this weekend after an absence of more than three months.
Players must shake off the sleepiness quickly, because when the whistle blows for Torino’s clash with Parma on Saturday, it will trigger a furious run of 124 games in 44 days.The frantic schedule will be a huge test of player fitness and squad depth, while the football won’t be quite as we know it.Games will be staged behind closed doors – although a partial return of fans in July is possible - while five substitutions are permitted, and kick-off times will be later than usual to dodge the worst of Italy’s blistering summer heat.