“Dybala has been training regularly for a couple of weeks now, and so he’s improving. It’s not so much a question of condition, but rather a question of regaining the strength in that leg, the shooting power.
Angeliño has truly had a season that was unexpected by everyone, a very difficult one. Perhaps for the first time in these last few days, these last few weeks, we’re seeing him again. He’s getting closer to the player he was last year, and that gives us hope, especially for next season, because
he’s a strong player who unfortunately has been missing all year.”
Those were some of the updates given by Gian Piero Gasperini during his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday’s big match at Parma. With Dybala fully integrated back into the fold the last few matches, Gasperini will only be without Lorenzo Pellegrini, Bryan Zaragoza, Evan Ferguson, and Artem Dovbyk for match week 36.
With the Giallorossi just one point behind Juventus and three behind Milan for the last two Champions League spots, and only two ahead of Como for the guaranteed Europa League spot heading into the weekend, the final three matches will be decisive in determining the Giallorossi’s final table position. By the time Roma play at noon Eastern on Mother’s Day, Juve and Como will already have played, which could make this an opportunity to jump into the UCL places if things go right in Lecce on Saturday afternoon.
During his presser, Gasperini was asked if he’d play the exact same XI that ran roughshod over Fiorentina on Monday at the Olimpico. Gasperini smiled and was coy in his response.
“I like the usual defense! Roma are doing well, we’re having a good run of confidence, even technically. Every match is truly different. We’re facing a team that has achieved some important results, has pulled itself out of the relegation battle very well, and is certainly a calm team. But we saw last week how the Italian league, fortunately, has become good right up until the final matchday, where even teams that don’t have clear objectives at the moment are playing their best games. We saw Verona, already relegated, take three points in Turin and Sassuolo beat Milan… This is very positive. I know that tomorrow we’ll have to do really well to win against Parma.”
While he didn’t really answer the question, the expectation is that Roma will again field the same XI. That would mean Dybala starting another match from the bench and allowing youngsters Matías Soulé and Niccoló Pisilli to play behind in-form striker Donyell Malen. Gasperini spoke on the Argentine’s recent performances since returning from injury.
“Soulé definitely did well. He had this very long, painful period with pubalgia. This certainly left some after-effects, but he’s overcoming them. He’s playing. He’s not at his best, certainly, physically, but his contribution, when he’s there, is always very important.”
That XI includes Manu Koné who was impactful in his own return from injury last week. The Frenchman will partner Bryan Cristante in the central midfield. Playing wide of them will be Wesley and Zeki Çelik. And rounding out the line-up will be that usual defense that Gasperini referred to featuring Gianluca Mancini, Evan Ndicka, and Mario Hermoso.
ROMA (3-4-2-1): Svilar; Mancini, Ndicka, Hermoso; Çelik, Cristante, Koné, Wesley; Pisilli, Soulé; Malen.
