Fiorentina’s strong start to the season has confirmed that the Florence side can be regarded as serious challengers to Serie A leaders Inter Milan.

Joint-third in the table, four points behind Inter, they host inconsistent Napoli on Sunday following a string of impressive results and a forward line brooding with confidence.

Champions League wins over Liverpool and Debrecen and last weekend’s battling 1-1 draw at Juventus were largely down to strikers Alberto Gilardino, Stevan Jovetic and Adrian Mutu.

The trio, along with French goalkeeper Sebastien Frey, are the only well-known faces in the lineup with a collection of hard-working team players complementing their brilliance.

Coach Cesare Prandelli is cautious about playing all three together but is happy Romania’s Mutu is now revitalized after Swiss courts suspended a record fine the Court of Arbitration for Sport said he had to pay for being sacked by Chelsea.

“Mutu and Jovetic playing with Gilardino could be a dream but we are not yet ready,” he told reporters Thursday. “From here, it is possible to have all our important players available, it will depend match by match how we manage the situation best. For them, it will be an extra motivation.”