This year has been a bit of a whirlwind for Lorenzo Pellegrini. After finishing his ninth season with the club on the sidelines thanks to a nagging hamstring injury, which forced Roma’s former captain to miss the final month of the 2025-2026 season, Pellegrini’s summer was anything but relaxing. From dealing with the embarrassment of Italy missing out on its third-straight World Cup to a rather complicated contract negotiation with Roma’s new leadership to rehabbing his ailing hammy, Pellegrini’s cortisol
levels were probably through the roof this summer.
With his contract situation settled for another year and his hammy on the mend, Pellegrini made his debut in the club’s scoreless draw against Como earlier this month. He may not have set the world on fire against Cesc Fabregas’ side, but it was a solid first step for Pellegrini, who featured in Roma’s next three matches, including a start in the club’s 4-0 win over Slovan Bratislava on Tuesday.
Unfortunately, the good news ends there. After leaving the match in the 51st minute with an apparent leg injury, Pellegrini’s immediate future was in doubt. But was this a garden-variety thigh strain that would limit Pellegrini to individual training for a week or so, or something more serious?
As the club prepares for Saturday’s Derby del Sole against Napoli, Pellegrini received some bad news today. According to multiple reports in Italy, Pellegrini suffered a tear of the distal semitendinosus musculotendinous junction in his right thigh, aka the back of his thigh, towards the inner side of the leg—an injury that may keep the 30-year-old Roman on the sidelines for up to two months.
Midfield isn’t exactly the deepest part of Roma’s roster, so Pellegrini’s absence could throw a significant spanner in the works.
