El Aynaoui set to start as Koné benched in Roma's crucial Verona clash
Match Report·24 May 2026·5h ago

El Aynaoui set to start as Koné benched in Roma's crucial Verona clash

Source: Forza Roma

Roma face Hellas Verona in a make-or-break match for Champions League qualification, with head coach Gasperini fielding a squad affected by several absences. Wesley is suspended, Ndicka is injured, and Koné—though fit—will start on the bench, with El Aynaoui taking his place in midfield. Rensch will replace the unavailable right-back, and Ghilardi features in defence. Up front, the Argentine pairing of Paulo Dybala and Matías Soulé will operate behind Donyell Malen.

Three points at Verona would secure fourth place and Champions League football for Roma, an achievement the club has not reached in seven years. The fixture represents a pivotal moment for the team's immediate future. Multiple Italian newspapers—Gazzetta dello Sport, Il Messaggero, Corriere dello Sport, Corriere della Sera, and Il Tempo—have outlined near-identical expected lineups, with Mile Svilar in goal, a defensive line of Ghilardi, Gianluca Mancini, and Hermoso, and a midfield anchored by Bryan Cristante and El Aynaoui alongside full-backs Celik and Rensch.

The consensus across Italian media reflects widespread agreement on Gasperini's tactical approach for this decisive encounter.

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Testo Originale / Source Text

Machine-scraped Italian — paste into Google Translate for a full read.

I giallorossi in campo con alcune assenze pesanti e il francese che parte dalla panchina. Dietro Malen la coppia argentina Redazione 24 maggio - 09:05 Verona-Roma, le probabili formazioni: coppia Dybala-Soulé. El Aynaoui dal 1' La Roma si gioca la Champions a Verona, col destino nelle proprie mani: tre punti per centrare un quarto posto che manca da 7 anni e cambierebbe il futuro immediato del club. Gasperini affronterà l'ultima partita con qualche defezione, come Wesley squalificato, Ndicka ko e anche Koné recuperato ma inizialmente in panchina. Al suo posto verso una maglia El Aynaoui, con Rensch al posto del brasiliano e Ghilardi in difesa. In attacco coppia argentina Dybala-Soulé alle spalle di Malen. LA GAZZETTA DELLO SPORT: Svilar; Ghilardi, Mancini, Hermoso; Celik, Cristante, El Aynaoui, Rensch; Soulé, Dybala; Malen. IL MESSAGGERO: Svilar; Ghilardi, Mancini, Hermoso; Celik, Cristante, El Aynaoui, Rensch; Soulé, Dybala; Malen. CORRIERE DELLO SPORT: Svilar; Ghilardi, Mancini, Hermoso; Celik, Cristante, El Aynaoui, Rensch; Dybala, Soulé; Malen. CORRIERE DELLA SERA: Svilar; Ghilardi, Mancini, Hermoso; Celik, Cristante, El Aynaoui, Rensch; Dybala, Soulé; Malen. IL TEMPO: Svilar; Ghilardi, Mancini, Hermoso; Celik, Cristante, El Aynaoui, Rensch; Soulé, Dybala; Malen. © RIPRODUZIONE RISERVATA Commenta Continua la lettura Commenti Invia Commento Tutti Leggi altri commenti

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