Livorno desperately look to claim a win to stay clear of the relegation zone as they host Chievo at the Stadio Armando Picchi on Sunday.
Chievo are 13th in the standings, while Livorno are six points and five places worse off, desperate to climb towards safety before the Christmas break.
There is still some hope lingering in the fields of Livorno. Results have improved since Serse Cosmi took over and before their slump to Udinese last weekend the Tuscan side had won three of their previous five games that included a 2-1 home win against Champions League hopefuls Genoa.
However, the Labronici did return to winning ways in midweek when they defeated Sampdoria 2-1 away in the Coppa Italia.
A win on Sunday could see the Leghorn-based outfit pull out of the relegation zone as they are level on 12 points with Atalanta, who face a stern test at Fiorentina this weekend.
Chievo are flying relatively high at the moment and are 13th in the table, just six points from a Champions League spot. They have been inconsistent so far this campaign but their morale-boosting victory over Palermo last weekend demonstrated that they can lift themselves higher up in the table.
It still isn’t an easy take for them. They might be just six points behind fourth placed Sampdoria but at the same time they are only six points above the relegation zone.
Yet Chievo have looked more comfortable playing away from home than in front of their own crowd and this could act as a major plus point in their favour on Sunday afternoon.
The hosts welcome back defender Rivas and midfielder Mozart, both available having recovered from muscle injuries.
Chievo defender Mario Yepes and midfielder Luciano return to the starting XI having served one-match bans against Palermo.
However, defenders Fabio Moro and Nicholas Frey are still sidelined through injury.
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Chievo's good form in Serie A this campaign continued as they defeated relegation candidates Livorno 2-0 away.
Luca Rigoni gave the Flying Donkeys the lead in the 12th minute. Then Cristiano Lucarelli was sent off in the 25th minute and the home side were down to ten men. Chievo doubled their advantage in the 66th minute when Simone Bentivoglio scored.
Livorno carried some early threat and Nico Pulzetti's free-kick was almost headed into his own goal by Simone Bentivoglio.
But in the 12th minute Chievo swept into the lead as Rigoni applied the finishing touch, a close-range header, to the cross from Elvis Abbruscato.
Abbruscato almost added a swift second goal but he could not convert after good work from Sergio Pellissier.
Striker Lucarelli was given his marching orders in the 25th minute after a heated dispute with referee Gabriele Gava.
Abbruscato wasted a great chance in the 29th minute when he shot just wide of the right post from 10 yards, before a minute later Livorno goalkeeper Alfonso De Lucia appeared to foul Pellissier in the penalty area but avoided punishment.
Nelson Rivas threatened an equaliser in the 41st minute when his free-kick from 25 yards went narrowly over, and a minute before half-time at the other end Pellissier forced De Lucia to make a fine save from his shot to the bottom right corner.
Chievo doubled their lead in the 66th minute when Pellissier played Bentivoglio in and his shot from inside the penalty area found the bottom right corner.
Bentivoglio almost increased the torture for Livorno soon afterwards but shot over the bar after meeting Sequeira Luciano's right-wing cross, when he should have scored.
Chievo substitute Yonese Hanine, on his debut, volleyed off-target in the 77th minute and then tried again five minutes later but his left-footed drive from 20 yards was again poorly directed.
Pellissier could have had another Chievo goal before the end, before, in desperation, Livorno's Rivas took aim from a long-range free-kick in the final minute, drawing a parried save from Stefano Sorrentino.