Gian Piero Gasperini has admitted Roma travel to Old Trafford short in midfield, with Lorenzo Pellegrini, Paulo Dybala and Manu Koné all missing for Tuesday's Champions League clash with Manchester United — but he warned his players to prepare as if they were facing the best version of United.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference in Manchester on Monday, with his quotes reported by Football Italia via the Corriere dello Sport, Gasperini laid out the scale of Roma's absences on the eve of Matchday 4. Goalkeeper Mile Svilar is also out, and Primavera youngsters were called up at the weekend simply to fill out the squad.
"In Midfield We're Short"
"We're missing Pellegrini, Dybala and Koné in the same departments, so we try to adapt a bit at certain moments," Gasperini said. "We have Castro as an alternative with Malen, but in midfield we're short. I hope it's just a passing phase."
The Roma coach added that the 17 players he has available are all ready, and that he hopes to have everyone back after the international break. A second report of the press conference, from Get Italian Football News, said Dybala, Koné and Svilar will be assessed again when Roma return home on Wednesday, to see whether any of them can face Sassuolo at the weekend or must wait until after the break.
It is a remarkable injury list for a side in Roma's form. They arrive in Manchester third in Serie A, a point off the top and still unbeaten, after Saturday's 5-2 win at Udinese — the form side of this fixture on paper, as our Man Utd v Roma preview set out before the team news landed.
No Sympathy for Struggling United
Gasperini refused to be drawn into taking United lightly. Michael Carrick's side lost 2-0 at Chelsea on Saturday and have now gone nine matches without a win, but the Roma coach was having none of the idea that this is a good time to visit Old Trafford.
"In the league they're going through a difficult period for results, but we can't let ourselves be distracted," he said. "They're a strong team, they have some truly talented players, and it's a tense and challenging environment. We're preparing as if we were facing the best Manchester United."
United's own team news is only slightly kinder, with Patrick Dorgu back in training but not available for Tuesday, as we reported earlier on Monday. Asked whether United's slump reminded him of his own short spell at Inter in 2011, Gasperini smiled at the comparison: "Every situation is different. You can suffer for a certain period, but then you manage to restart. Hopefully from the day after tomorrow!"
So What Does It Mean?
This cuts both ways. Roma's midfield shortage is exactly the area United would want to exploit: without Koné's running and Pellegrini's passing, the visitors lose the engine room that has powered their unbeaten Serie A start, and Bryan Cristante and Marten de Roon will carry an enormous load against Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo. But Gasperini's sides are built on system over individuals — Roma have shared their goals around all season — and seven straight games played, in his words, "on a knife-edge" have not broken them yet.
For Carrick, the maths has not changed: Roma at home, then Aston Villa at the weekend, with reports that his future could be decided inside this week. A Roma side missing four starters is the best version of this fixture he could have been offered. If United cannot take it, the "day after tomorrow" joke stops being funny.
Beyond the Final Whistle: Gasperini said the quiet part out loud — Roma are stretched to the limit — and still sounded like the calmer man in Manchester. That tells you everything about where these two clubs are: one coach is managing an injury list, the other is managing a crisis. Tuesday night will show whether a system can beat a squad, or whether Old Trafford finally gets the restart Gasperini politely wished for everyone except himself.
Can Roma's patched-up midfield survive Old Trafford, or is this the night United's season finally restarts? Have your say in the comments.
