Soulé steps up as Dybala's absence weighs on Roma's creativity

Lorenzo Pellegrini returns to the starting XI tonight as Roma face Slovan Bratislava in the UEFA Champions League, 2,806 days after the club last won a Champions League match. Roma have not competed in Europe's premier competition for seven years, and Malen and his team-mates aim to return to winning ways after points slipped away against Fenerbahce and Real Madrid. The last Roma win came on 12 February 2019, when the Giallorossi beat Porto 2-1 at the Stadio Olimpico. Porto progressed on the return leg after a 3-1 victory. Pellegrini started that evening too, and he is the only survivor from that side. The squad around him has changed completely since then. Di Francesco's 4-3-3 that night included Cristante, who is missing tonight through injury, and Daniele De Rossi in midfield. Dzeko led the line, with El Shaarawy alongside him and Zaniolo, who scored twice, in support. The defence was made up of Florenzi, Manolas, Fazio and Kolarov, with Mirante in goal. Santon, Kluivert and Nzonzi came off the bench. Seven years on from that night, Roma want to win in the Champions League again.

Roma return to action tonight looking for their first win in the Champions League League Phase, with kickoff at 21:00 at the Stadio Olimpico against Slovan Bratislava, who are still on zero points after two matches. The Slovaks come to Rome after Roma's win over Genoa in Serie A. Mancini, Hermoso, Wesley and Malen all return to the starting line-up from the first minute, while Evan N'Dicka is expected to be rested. Gian Piero Gasperini's side is set to line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, according to the main Roman dailies. The predicted XI is largely the same across the papers. Mile Svilar is not included; Pierluigi Gollini starts in goal, with Gianluca Mancini, Leonardo Balerdi and Mario Hermoso forming the back three. Marten de Roon and Niccolò Pisilli operate in the middle, with Wesley on the right of midfield and Lulli or Nahuel Molina on the left, depending on the newspaper. Matías Soulé and Lorenzo Pellegrini support Donyell Malen up front. Molina is named in the lineups of two outlets, Il Corriere dello SportRoma and La Gazzetta dello SportRoma, and in Leggoroma, while Lulli is picked by the rest. For Roma, a win tonight would be a first points gain in the Champions League league phase and a chance to build on the momentum from the weekend victory over Genoa. The return of Wesley and Malen gives Gasperini a fully fit attacking and midfield core, while the decision to rest N'Dicka offers a rotation option for a team playing regularly across competitions. Mancini and Hermoso's return restores experience to the defensive line.

Roma are chasing their first win in the Champions League as they prepare to face Slovan Bratislava, with Gian Piero Gasperini set to be without Svilar, Cristante, Koné and Dybala. Malen is the only player returning from the Genoa league fixture and will start tonight, with Soulé and Pellegrini behind him. Evan N'Dicka may be rested. On the right side of the defence, Nahuel Molina and Emanuele Lulli are in a straight fight for a place. The Italian newspapers' predicted line-ups are split on the pick: Corriere dello Sport, Il Messaggero, Il Tempo and Corriere della Sera all name Lulli, while La Gazzetta dello Sport and Leggo go with Molina. All of them set Roma up in a 3-4-2-1 with Gollini in goal, Mancini, Balerdi and Hermoso across the back three, and Wesley, de Roon and Pisilli in midfield alongside the right-back option. The home side are without several first-team regulars, so the selection call on the flank and the rotation of N'Dicka will shape how Gasperini sets his back line. Roma are still searching for their first Champions League victory of the season, and tonight's fixture gives them the chance to address that.

Mati Soulé is increasingly central to Roma under Gian Piero Gasperini, with his goals, decisive touches and consistency making him the man to spark the attack while Paulo Dybala is out injured. Soulé took over the creative role as soon as Dybala left the pitch, first in the second half of Roma's match against Real Madrid and then against Genoa. Those two performances restored the energy the Argentine showed in the first half of last season, before a groin problem (pubalgia) began to affect him. Gasperini will ask for an extra effort from Soulé again today, as Roma face Slovan Bratislava and must win at all costs. The match is followed by two daunting away trips: first to Old Trafford to face Manchester United, then to the Parc des Princes to play PSG. That is why, in the paper's view, anything other than victory tonight is not an option for Roma. Soulé's task is to create numerical superiority, beat his man and add a touch of imagination to the Giallorossi attack. Soulé will probably play as a second striker, since Gasperini tends to use a 1-2 formation rather than a 2-1 against teams that defend with four at the back. Soulé is most comfortable when he can operate on the touchline, but he has learned to play further inside the pitch as well.

Paulo Dybala's return from injury has been pushed back after Roma discovered a small tear in the twin calf muscle of his right leg, which was hidden by swelling in the first scan. The Argentine forward had come off at half-time of the match against Real Madrid. Initial sensations were reassuring and the first tests showed no lesions, so in the following days there was talk of a quick recovery and even a possible call-up for the Champions League game against Slovan Bratislava. The problem had not fully disappeared, however. On Sunday and Monday Dybala tried to increase his training loads again at Trigoria, but during the session he felt a slight discomfort in the calf again. The medical staff then decided not to take any risks and ordered a new magnetic resonance scan. It was the second check that clarified the situation: a very small tear to the gemello, already in the healing phase, which had been concealed in the first scan by the presence of oedema. This is why the problem was initially classified as simple fatigue. The good news is that there is no serious alarm. The tear is mild and is not considered comparable to the muscle problems that in the past forced Dybala into much longer spells out of action. However, the timetable inevitably changes: Dybala will miss the Slovan game and his recovery will be managed with greater caution. The precise timing will be set in the coming days, including through further checks. Corriere dello Sport indicates a possible return in about a week, with the Udinese match and then the trip to Manchester as the targets. Roma will not force his comeback. Gasperini will therefore have to wait a little longer before having the Dybala and Malen partnership available again. This time the scare seems to have lasted only as long as needed to establish what was really behind the discomfort. No drama, but a lesson in caution: the calf was not yet ready, and the second scan explained why.

Roma are chasing their first win in the Champions League as they prepare to face Slovan Bratislava, with Gian Piero Gasperini set to be without Svilar, Cristante, Koné and Dybala. Malen is the only player returning from the Genoa league fixture and will start tonight, with Soulé and Pellegrini behind him. Evan N'Dicka may be rested. On the right side of the defence, Nahuel Molina and Emanuele Lulli are in a straight fight for a place. The Italian newspapers' predicted line-ups are split on the pick: Corriere dello Sport, Il Messaggero, Il Tempo and Corriere della Sera all name Lulli, while La Gazzetta dello Sport and Leggo go with Molina. All of them set Roma up in a 3-4-2-1 with Gollini in goal, Mancini, Balerdi and Hermoso across the back three, and Wesley, de Roon and Pisilli in midfield alongside the right-back option. The home side are without several first-team regulars, so the selection call on the flank and the rotation of N'Dicka will shape how Gasperini sets his back line. Roma are still searching for their first Champions League victory of the season, and tonight's fixture gives them the chance to address that.