Koné eager to return against Sassuolo and for France, but Roma staff urge caution

Robinio Vaz's spell in England is not taking off, and a return to Rome at the end of the season looks increasingly likely. The Roma forward, who was sent out last summer to Hull City on a loan costing €2 million with an option to buy set at €30 million, was named in the starting line-up of Hull's U21 side at the weekend, not the first team. Hull's U21s beat Derby County 1-0, with Vaz going close to scoring on several occasions. The demotion comes after a difficult period for the French-born attacker, who has yet to find his rhythm in the Premier League. He has made five Premier League appearances so far, totalling 50 minutes. Hull reportedly judged his condition not suitable for first-team football, as he is recovering from a calf injury. For Roma, the situation keeps the club's youth forward far from the first-team picture at Hull, and a return to the capital is now seen as the likely outcome when the season ends. Vaz remains a Roma player on loan at Hull City.

Radio pundits across Rome's stations have debated whether Manu Koné should be called up by France and whether Roma are over-reliant on Malen and Dybala ahead of the match against Sassuolo. Alessio Nardo of Tele Radio Stereo said: "If Koné, after missing several matches, answered France's call-up, it would annoy me. He is coming back after a long stop and it would not be ideal. Everyone looks after their own interests. Zidane could also consider him available, let's see what happens, but I hope not." He added that France have plenty of alternatives and that Koné, returning from a long injury, could be rested. The debate follows the defeat to Manchester, which David Rossi of Rete Sport called unjustified. He said: "I am surprised by the negativity that has been generated after the defeat at Manchester. It is unjustifiable; you lost to teams with greater resources than yours. Wouldn't you have signed up, at this point, to have lost only to Real and Manchester? We always lose sight of the bigger picture. Roma are a very strong side, built to earn more points than last year: the starting base is 73 points. For me this is an 80-point side, which certainly means Champions League again. Contrary to what some think, that is very important. It is unacceptable to hear that Roma must leave the Champions League." Rossi also noted that a draw between Inter and Como, combined with a Napoli win over Lazio, would make the round unfavourable if Roma failed to beat Sassuolo. Gianluca Piacentini of Rete Sport said Roma must take advantage of their chances. He said: "If that defeat to Manchester had not come, with that dynamic and yet another comeback conceded, we would now be saying Roma started clear favourites against Sassuolo. The fear is that there are more psychological than physical after-effects. The same applies as after Real: one way or another, you have to bring it home. Tactically, it is better to face Sassuolo than Genoa, because putting up barricades is not in their DNA." Roberto Pruzzo of Radio Radio said Roma need to bounce back immediately. He said: "Against Sassuolo you need to restart immediately after the disappointment of Manchester. Sassuolo have conceded 10 goals in their last two matches, Aquilani is in great difficulty, and his side does not have the strength to react. Roma must face the game in the best possible way, looking for satisfaction in attack. Malen also has the odd lapse, and I back Castro, but apart from that great goal he never plays. Maybe there is room for him too. I often refer to the transfer market: you have had only reserves, there is no first-choice player apart from De Roon." Nando Orsi of Radio Radio questioned the dependence on Malen and Dybala. He said: "If Malen is in a slump and Dybala does not play, what happens? Isn't Roma too dependent on those two? Malen was scoring a lot alongside Dybala, now he seems more in difficulty. You need alternatives, because if Malen does not score, you struggle. On Dybala, perhaps Gasperini's management was wrong, making him play ninety minutes every time to prove what..." Mario Mattioli of Radio Radio said Sassuolo are unpredictable and that Roma are not at their brightest. He said: "Sassuolo are a team on a rollercoaster and could wake up and become the side of three weeks ago. Roma are not going through one of their most brilliant moments; I have noticed glaring flaws. This is not the Roma of three weeks ago. Sassuolo's last outing did not leave them unscathed, but if they have recovered they can put Roma in difficulty. Roma can win, but not comfortably." On Dybala, Mattioli also questioned his diet, saying: "Are we sure he is not eating something that affects his muscle tissue? I did a lot of athletics and they even controlled your food." Piero Torri of Manà Manà Sport said there was something about Koné's intentions that remained unclear, asking whether he wanted to play for France. He said: "I would not sincerely send him to risk it, also because France play two real matches, one against Italy. Koné knows he has strong competition in his role for his national team, but Roma pay the price. If he gets injured again, we are back to square one." Lorenzo Pes of Tele Radio Stereo said Koné is fit and that a call-up could be justified, while Roma would have the final say. He said Roma may prefer caution, in which case Koné would be unlikely to be called up. He added that Roma would like to keep him, while the player has recovered. Pes said the decisive day was expected to be the one that followed, and on Gollini: "It's unlikely he will be available tomorrow; he will try until the end, but until yesterday it was very complicated. So I think Vásquez will play, but I don't see that much difference." The pundits' comments centre on how Roma respond to the Manchester defeat and their Sassuolo fixture, with the Koné decision and Dybala's condition still being discussed.

Roma's first priority this weekend is to put the defeat at Old Trafford behind them and claim a full three points against a Sassuolo side in serious crisis, according to a round-up of radio comments gathered by Romanews.eu. The fixture is seen as crucial, with Inter v Como and Napoli v Lazio also taking place on the same day, and several pundits said the result would shape Roma's position in Serie A. Radio Bruno and Radio Radio commentators offered a range of views. Ferri said he was firmly convinced that if Roma play 80% of their Serie A matches as they have in the first quarter of the season, they will struggle to finish outside the top three, adding that he still believed Inter were the strongest side. Carina said Roma arrive tired, both physically and mentally, because the Manchester defeat had been heavy, but that returning to the Olimpico helps, as the standard in Serie A allows for some dips in form. He said Roma must try to string together a run of wins over their next four matches so they reach the derby in a high position. Carina also addressed the fitness of Paulo Dybala, saying the recovery timelines are never clear: first there was talk of muscle fatigue, then of a small tear, and then he disappeared from view. "He is a sublime, fantastic player, but now he becomes a problem: between Dybala and Pellegrini, if you have one, that is already a lot. So the squad becomes short: if you want to be protagonists in the league, you are missing players." He added: "I expected Castro to play a bit more. He must send a signal. He showed it with the wonderful goal against Genoa, but he must give continuity, despite the difficulties, because playing once in a while is complicated." Pruzzo said: "After Manchester, we must get going again straight away. Sassuolo in their last two matches have conceded ten goals; the worrying thing is that they show no signs and don't react. This allows Roma to manage the match and try to create danger up front. Malen has the occasional lapse, and Castro never plays: let's see if this time there will be room for him." Mattioli said Sassuolo are a rollercoaster and could either collapse or produce a big performance, adding that Roma are not in their best moment and that he had seen some errors against Manchester. He said: "If Sassuolo do not change gear, they will not leave the Olimpico unscathed. Roma can win." Orsi warned that Roma depend too heavily on Malen and Dybala, noting that Malen scored a lot when they played together but now struggles more, while Dybala may not score but always provides assists.