New Lazio boss Edy Reja feels the club will avoid relegation from Serie A as he prepares for his first test against Parma on Sunday.

The experienced Reja took the reins from Davide Ballardini this week after his sacking following Lazio's 1-0 defeat by Catania last weekend.

The Biancoceleste have won only four of their 23 Serie A games this season and go into the clash languishing in 18th position and looking for their first away win since August 30.

But Reja is convinced they can pull away from trouble, saying: "Lazio doesn't deserve to be in this position in the league. We know these players well, they are good and the quality is there.

"This team deserves better and I am happy to have accepted this task. I am sure it will be challenging."

Parma, in contrast, go into the clash on a high after holding league leaders Inter Milan to a 1-1 draw in midweek.

Parma have not won since before the winter break but coach Francesco Guidolin believes his players have rediscovered the battling spirit that had seen them climb as high as fourth before the winter break.

"Against Inter, we found the same spirit that allowed us to be a revelation in the first half of the campaign," said Guidolin, whose side currently sit 12th.

"There will always be difficult times in the league and we hope to have overcome them now."

Parma will be without Francesco Valiani following his sending-off against Inter while, for Lazio, Simone Del Nero (knee) is out and Giuseppe Biava and Julio Cruz have both been suffering with illness this week.

Parma sporting director Pietro Leonardi is expecting a backlash from Lazio following the change of leadership and admits he is surprised by their struggles.

He told Radio Sei: "Usually, when a change takes place on the bench, within the team there is always a kick, the players are excited and want to prove they are not to blame for the situation.

"Lazio should not be in that position. They have higher quality than the other teams fighting to avoid relegation."

He continued: "In football, it is customary that when a team does badly the coach has to pay. I have never considered this a useful thing.

"With regard to Lazio, I do not know the situation and so I cannot judge it. However, I think the club have decided to make this choice after careful evaluation.

"A team that can count on (Mauro) Zarate, (Sergio) Floccari, Cruz, (Tommaso) Rocchi, (Pasquale) Foggia etc is unique."

Leonardi concedes Parma's efforts against Inter could put them at a disadvantage but he is hoping the result will instead inspire them to another good performance.

"We spent so much, not only physically, but also in terms of focus and attention," he added. "On Wednesday, for me, we gained many points.

"We played on a par with the Nerazzurri and this will give us the energy to overcome the accumulated fatigue."