Roma will visit Genoa on Thursday night, hunting for the third consecutive positive result after thumping Empoli and drawing with Torino. The Giallorossi need to buck a dangerous trend on the road to have a shot at climbing the standing.
As Il Messaggero points out, they have won just twice in the past 13 away games domestically. They have collected five draws and six losses in the other ones. Their last victory dates back to April 8th, when they squeaked by the Granata.
Roma almost did the same on Sunday, but Duvan Zapata made it one-all late with a header, escaping Evan N’Dicka on a set piece. The newcomer is expected to draw another start midweek because Chris Smalling isn’t close to returning just yet, Corriere dello Sport informs.
The Englishman hasn’t resumed practicing and is headed for a third straight absence. The center-back isn’t nursing a muscular problem but rather a tendon one. It has become chronic and needs to be managed. Only an extended period on the shelf could allow it to heal. He might be out until the next international break.
The lingering injury, which already affected him in the past, is the main reason behind his early subpar showings. He followed a personalized program during the break, but the pain hasn’t disappeared yet. Therefore, he and the Roma staff have decided to hit pause for a while.
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