Inter Milan will look to maintain their lead at the top of Serie A when they play host to Roma at San Siro on Friday night.

Antonio Conte has enjoyed an excellent start to life back in Italy, winning 12 of Inter's opening 14 games to take an unlikely lead over Juventus.

However, they will be wary of the threat carried by an exuberant Roma side who are also performing well following the summer appointment of Paulo Fonseca.

Here, Sports Mole looks at how the Nerazzurri could line up for this fixture.

Out: Roberto Gagliardini (foot), Stefano Sensi (thigh), Alexis Sanchez (ankle), Nicolo Barella (knee)
Doubtful: None

The most important aspect of any Conte team is indeed the back three, whose quality in possession dictates the team's overall ability to execute quick transitions further up the pitch.

Specifically, the mobility of Milan Skriniar and the composure at the base of the defence from Stefan de Vrij, the one responsible for releasing the ball forward, will be once again crucial to giving Inter a strong platform from which to dictate proceedings.

In the middle, Conte has deviated slightly from the 3-4-3 system employed at Chelsea and instead uses an extra midfielder, allowing for more angles in the final third to emerge through smart running off the ball.

Indeed, this is the central role of wide duo Antonio Candreva and Valentino Lazaro, both of whom have the dual task of ensuring that Inter's attacking shape does not go flat whilst also getting back in defence to create a five-man back line when Conte's men lose the ball.

It is through this aforementioned pair that holding midfielder Marcelo Brozovic in turn positions himself, sometimes staying in line with the duo to support transitions into the final third and sometimes dropping back as another defender capable of screening the three outfield players behind him.

Gagliardini is a big miss, but Conte will hope to see Borja Valero - inhibited by injuries this term - find his feet in this game and provide some impetus moving forward.

Up front, of course, will be Lautaro Martinez and Romelu Lukaku, who have struck up an excellent attacking partnership since the Belgian's arrival from Manchester United over the summer.

The pair have scored a combined total of 18 goals from Inter's opening 14 Serie A games, and you would not bet against one of them adding to that tally at San Siro on Friday night.