Probable Formation: Pisa vs Roma

After getting off to a winning start on Matchday 1, Roma travels to Pisa to face the newly promoted hosts, who are coming off a 1-1 draw against Atalanta. Gian Piero Gasperini will have his entire roster available except for Leon Bailey for this match, including former captain Lorenzo Pellegrini and Primavera youngster Antonio Arena.

While Gasperini didn’t mention anything about who would start this one in his presser, he did speak on the Pellegrini situation.

“Pellegrini will be in the squad tomorrow. He’s completed his recovery and has trained with the team this week. I’ve already spoken about him. They have to come to an agreement and they’ve had talks. I see Pellegrini as a mature player who loves Roma but is prepared to make other choices for the good of his career. That’s the situation. But Pellegrini is a great lad and he’s Roma through and through. He wants to play, get on in his career and achieve his goals.

He’s got this heavy contract weighing him down and there are probably many others like him in this game. If he can find the best solution for himself, we’ll all be happy. I really do wish him all the best, if he does leave. The problem is there’s only three days left, but I think the club and the player are completely willing. What if he stays? If that happens, we’ll talk about it on 2 September. The talks don’t involve me. I would have avoided this situation but I can understand both sides. That’s it. Let them find a solution.”

Gasperini also spoke on Dybala’s tactical fit in his system.

It’s not a problem because you take him for his qualities. Everyone gets involved in defending, even Dybala. There’s not a single footballer in the modern game who doesn’t help the team. Otherwise you’re playing a man down and that’s not possible. You have to use him in a way that fits with his qualities – for example, he’s unlikely to be able to cover 70 metres along the flank. But within what he can do, he has to help the team when we don’t have the ball, otherwise he’d only be half a player. Dybala can be a great player in both phases of play. I hope he can be a key player with the goals he scores and the assists he provides because he has top-class ability.

No player has to adapt to play in a position. You have to embrace the qualities of each and every player. Last Saturday we played with [Mario] Hermoso on the right, and he probably shouldn’t even have spent pre-season with us based on the initial ideas. He’s a player – like all the others who I’ve had here, including those who have left, bar none – who has been incredibly willing. I don’t know how many times he’s played on the right in his career but he had an excellent game. That shows you what I mean. Is it an emergency? Clearly it is. If you have to play 38 games like that, there’s something you didn’t do the best way when putting the squad together, but that’s what I mean. I’d like you to highlight the players’ willingness because that gives you the basis for a good season.

That being said, Dybala isn’t expected to start for the second consecutive match, and it’s doubtful Pellegrini will appear at all. There’s a good chance Gasperini runs out his same XI from last weekend’s 1-0 win over Bologna, even if he indicated that playing Mario Hermoso on the right is far from ideal.

If there are any changes from last week, one could be at the right center-back position, where Zeki Çelik returns from suspension. However, Hermoso seems to have a slight edge after his strong performance last week. Meanwhile, Neil El Aynaoui could slot in for Stephan El Shaarawy. Nevertheless, most publications on the peninsula give El Faraone the slight edge over the former Lens man.

Probable Formation

Roma (3-4-3): Svilar; Hermoso, Mancini, Ndicka; Wesley, Koné, Cristante, Angeliño; Soulé, Ferguson, El Shaarawy.