After waiting nearly two months to catch our first glimpse of Leon Bailey in Giallossi colors, the former Aston Villa winger made his highly anticipated debut on Saturday. While Bailey wasn’t able to turn the tide against Inter Milan, his minute cameo against the Nerazzurri was impressive, if for no other reason than he brought a level of pace and aggression the club desperately needed. Overall, Bailey played 18 minutes in his debut, taking 13 touches, and delivered one key pass while demonstrating
impressive close control and dribbling.
With only seven goals through their first seven league matches, Gian Piero Gasperini’s attacking acumen hasn’t translated to the Italian capital just yet. But the change of pace Bailey provided against Inter should point to a larger role for the 28-year-old winger. And if the latest rumors prove true, we may see a healthy dose of Bailey on Thursday when Roma hosts Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League.
We’re still 72 hours away from kickoff, but considering the boost he gave Roma’s attack during his brief debut and Gasperini’s need to keep the rest of his forwards fresh, all signs point to Bailey getting the starting nod on Thursday.
So, what do you think: Should Gasperini throw Bailey into the deep end or remain cautious with a player that missed two months with a musucular injury?
