NAPLES - AS Roma face an attacking crisis for their trip to the Stadio Maradona after Lorenzo Pellegrini suffered a muscle injury. The Giallorossi captain was substituted in the 50th minute of the 4-0 Champions League win over Slovan Bratislava and will be out until the next international break. The team, coming into this test on a two-game winning run, must keep pace in a title race where they sit third with 17 points, just two points behind leaders Inter.

The recovery timeline

Manager Gian Piero Gasperini gave an initial recovery estimate after the match. "I don't think it's serious, but it always takes 20 days when it's a muscle problem," the coach stated. This means Pellegrini will miss at least five fixtures: the Serie A matches against Napoli, Cagliari, Udinese and Sassuolo, plus the Champions League clash with Manchester United. A tough blow for a player who had just returned after missing the first five league games.

The depleted department

With Pellegrini out and Paulo Dybala already unavailable, Gasperini's options in midfield are severely limited. The two available attacking midfielders are now Matías Soulé and new signing Rodrigo Mora, the latter still working his way to full match sharpness. The team, sitting third in the standings with 17 points from five wins and two draws in their first seven games, must therefore handle a key run of games with a thin squad. The next test is the tough derby against ninth-placed Napoli, scheduled for Tuesday 24 October. The defence, having conceded only 3 league goals, will be called upon for an extra effort to protect this advantage.

The January market

The short-term crisis is pushing the club to look ahead to the January transfer window for reinforcements. Sporting director D'Amico clarified that the team must first focus on itself, then act in January to provide the manager with the necessary resources. Names linked include Endrick, Kvernadze, Gittens, Leweling, Greenwood and Summerville. For now, the team must rely on the grit shown in recent outings, like the 4-0 win over Slovan where Hermoso, Molina, Pisilli and Malen scored, the latter being the season's top scorer with 6 goals. The team's recent form of two wins, two draws and one loss in the last five matches offers some optimism. The 2-0 win over Genoa on Saturday 17 October and the goalless draw with Como on 11 October preceded the 3-4 defeat to Real Madrid, showing a degree of resilience.

This story first appeared at repubblica.it