If Gian Piero Gasperini and Roma stand any chance at closing the five-point gap and overtaking Juventus for 4th place on the table, they will need all hands on deck; no easy feat for the Giallorossi. Whether you believe Trigoria was built on sacred ground as is now cursed or that Roma’s medical staff are Manchurian candidates secretly destroying the club from within, there is no escaping the club’s injury issues.
While Roma has been fortunate to avoid any catastrophic injuries this season, they have
been felled by a string of minor and semi-serious muscular injuries, stripping the club of some of its most important players for weeks at a time. Over the past several weeks, the most glaring absences have been forward Paulo Dybala and wing-back Wesley França.
After a relatively healthy start to the season, Dybala suffered a knee injury in late January that eventually required a minor surgical procedure last month. Dybala’s absence was compounded by Matías Soulé’s six-week absence on the sidelines due to a sports hernia, forcing Gasperini to dig deep into his bench to support Donyell Malen in attack.
But there is good news on the horizon. Dybala and Wesley, who missed the past month with a hamstring injury, have returned to full training and could potentially make the matchday squad for Roma’s trip to Bologna this weekend.
It may take a miracle for Roma to overcome Juventus on the table, but with Dybala and Wesley back in the picture, the Giallorossi at least have a fighting chance.
