Castro under close watch: meeting with Gasperini's match analyst before debut

Roma suffered an injury blow during their opening pre-season friendly against Cardiff City on 1 August. Midfielder Muhammed Bah, born 2007, was forced off on a stretcher in the 28th minute after an apparent serious injury. Bah remained on the ground holding his face for several minutes before the stretcher was called, and head coach Gian Piero Gasperini replaced him with Mannini. The injury came during Roma's first fixture of their summer training camp in Wales. Bah's condition will be assessed in the coming days, with clarity expected on the extent of the damage and any potential impact on his availability for the new season.

Roma midfielder Bah sustained a serious knee injury during a friendly against Cardiff on 1 August, leaving the field on a stretcher in the 26th minute. The young midfielder, born in 2007, fell awkwardly after being caught out by a feint from Cardiff goalkeeper Trott, striking his right knee. Mannini replaced him. Initial diagnosis points to a knee distortion, though the fear is a torn anterior cruciate ligament; instrumental examinations will determine the full extent of the damage. Bah's injury mirrors a setback he suffered in 2024 during the early days of pre-season under Daniele De Rossi. That previous injury required surgery at St. Moritz in the clinic trusted by the Friedkin Group, resulting in eleven months out before he returned to group training. Last season, head coach Gian Piero Gasperini included Bah in the first-team squad. In July, he was called up for Roma's pre-season training camp at Trigoria, appearing in matches against Trastevere and Cannes. The Gambian now faces the prospect of another lengthy absence.

Roma midfielder Muhammed Bah suffered a knee injury during the club's first pre-season friendly against Cardiff City in Wales. The incident occurred in the 26th minute when Bah, pressing Cardiff goalkeeper Nathan Trott, fell awkwardly on his standing leg and was carried from the pitch on a stretcher with his hands to his face. Initial fears of a torn posterior cruciate ligament were later revised following assessment on 1 August at 17:23: the injury was confirmed as a left knee distortion rather than ligament damage. Bah, a 2007-born midfielder and cousin of Roma defender Ebrima Darboe, is no stranger to serious injury. In February 2024, under then-manager Daniele De Rossi, he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the same left knee during a first-team training session. He returned to action in January 2025 with Primavera, marking his comeback with a goal. The latest setback will concern Roma as the player works to rebuild from his previous rehabilitation.