Gasperini provides update on Bailey as Roma miss just one player for Plzen tie

Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has spoken to the press ahead of Thursday night’s Europa League match against Viktoria Plzen, providing an update on Leon Bailey and confirming Angeliño’s absence from the squad.

With quotes taken from Roma’s official website, Gasperini said: “There’s a medical report for Angeliño and they’re running tests. It’s not something I can talk about. You have to go on what the doctors say. We hope to have him back as soon as possible. Apart from him, fingers crossed, everyone is available at the moment”

On Bailey, the head coach revealed “I’ll repeat what I’ve said many times before: anyone who plays is a first choice, both the starters and the subs. He could play and anyone who plays is a first choice. Unfortunately only within what the rules allow. The others can’t play.”

“In this specific case, he’s unlikely to start because he’s been out for a long time. The most important thing is he’s recovered physically. It will take him a few weeks to get back into peak condition but he’s able to contribute during the game.”

Bailey signed from Aston Villa in the summer but has had his start to life in Rome hampered by an injury suffered in his first training session with the club. However, the Jamaican winger is finally back in contention for the squad.

The coach then continued to discuss Thursday night’s fixture, describing it as “An important match. We need to win to move up the table. It’s not the easiest of groups for the competition we’re in. We must try to pick up points one game at a time.

“As I saw last year, with this new format the table is always very tight, with small points differences. It’s important for us to remember that and also to get back to winning ways after losing to Lille.”

Gasperini was then asked who, out of Evan Ferguson and Artem Dovbyk, could be considered as his first choice striker, to which he replied:

“Nowadays strikers have to rotate at every club in Italy and Europe. Just look at the substitutions made. On Saturday Inter brought on [Francesco Pio] Esposito. With five subs, at least a couple of them are forwards. That’s what we’ve seen since Covid, with the five subs rule.

“As I said, everyone who plays is a first choice. When you’re playing two games a week, you have the chance to use lots of players in the same game, especially up front. You only need to look at the transfer activity of all the clubs and substitutions made in every match. You try to get back into the game or kill it off with your attackers. That’s why it’s like this.”

Finally, Gasperini talked more about Leon Bailey.

“In an emergency anything can happen, but I don’t think he’s centre-forward material. He’s definitely an attacking player, a player who should spend most of his time in attack. I think he was used to playing on the wing a lot in England, very wide, more on the right than on the left because he’s left-footed.

“I want to bring him more into the centre, towards the goal, as with Soule and lots of other players. I intend to do the same with him. But he’s not a player who’s used to playing that way. We’ll need to learn together and assess his qualities.”

Roma Squad List For Europa League Match

Goalkeepers: Svilar, Gollini, De Marzi

Defenders: Rensch, Ndicka, Tsimikas, Celik, Hermoso, Mancini, Ziolkowski, Wesley, Ghilardi

Midfielders: Cristante, Pellegrini, El Aynaoui, Kone, Pisilli

Forwards: Dovbyk, Ferguson, Soulé, Dybala, Bailey, El Shaarawy