Gasperini: Not an easy week for Roma, amid Dybala, Wesley and Koné issues

Gian Piero Gasperini admits it ‘hasn’t been an easy week’ for Roma and suggests he’ll rest Wesley in Sunday’s away game at Cagliari.

Gasperini previewed tomorrow’s Serie A match between his Roma side and Cagliari at a pre-match press conference on Saturday.

Spanish left-back Angelino returned to training on Friday after over two months, but it’s still unclear whether he’ll be eligible in Cagliari tomorrow.

“Angelino has had an issue for two months, and I can’t make any prediction since it wasn’t a joint or muscle problem,” Gasperini said via Romanews.

“Yesterday, he trained with the team and in the last few weeks, he worked individually quite well. When the doctors give the green light, we’ll use him. It hasn’t been an easy week between flu issues and various things. I don’t think I’ll play Wesley tomorrow; we’ll see today. However, the lads are really focused, and I’ll try to bring everyone away. On Thursday, we’ll be in Glasgow and on Monday in Como, so we can evaluate things well.”

Gasperini added that Neil El Aynaoui and Manu Koné “have some discomfort, while Wesley has a muscle strain.

Paulo Dybala and Tommaso Baldanzi trained separately earlier this week, having caught the flu.

“Numerically, the squad is sufficient. We only have minor knocks for a couple of days, apart from Dovbyk. The squad is complete, and the Ukrainian is also on his way back,” continued Gasp.

“Players who have played less are giving very good signals, like Ghilardi, Ziolkowski, Pisilli and Baldanzi. I’m very happy with them; they’ll get more and more space.

“We have to keep this high-performance level with the strong core, and above all, in attack, we need to improve our impact. Ferguson, Dovbyk, Dybala and Bailey are fundamental, but they must produce more.

“If Dybala is fit, he’s not a problem. Until the Milan game, he had been positive for three or four matches, then he stopped,” added Gasperini.

“Today, he’ll have his first training session with the squad. He was out with the flu, but yesterday he did some individual work. We’re talking about a very strong player who needs continuity. Up front, you can play in many ways. Baldanzi did well in Verona, and he had a chance against Napoli. He gives good answers, but it’s not his position. We were without Ferguson and Dybala, and he did well, better than anyone. We know that to play him as a centre-forward, you have to play differently than with the others.”

Leon Bailey has recently returned to action, but has been dealing with several fitness issues so far this season.

“He was forced out for two months, and, clearly, in the meantime, the others are going strong in a group that is very reactive in games,” explained Gasperini.

“It’s not easy to restart, especially in November-December, when everyone is running. We need to get back on track, and hopefully, he can find continuity. He’s not fit yet, but he can train.”

Lastly, Gasperini commented on Lorenzo Pellegrini, who has practically become a starter in what could be his last season at the Stadio Olimpico.

“He’s a Roma player. He’s 29 and healthy. He trains very well, and as I said, he’s a great guy. He’s part of a group of captains very attached to the team and to performance,” Gasperini concluded.