Pellegrini ruled out of Napoli game as Gasperini warns Roma are short

Roma's coach expects to be without Pellegrini for about 20 days and could arrive at the Maradona on Saturday 24 October with a thin squad. For Napoli, that solves nothing.

by Gennaro SanninoWednesday 21 October, 16:22 CET· yesterday

Pellegrini salta Napoli-Roma, Gasperini: «In pochi se non recuperiamo Dybala» — Grafica Arena Napoli

Pellegrini will miss Roma's visit to the Maradona on Saturday 24 October. Gasperini said a full recovery needs about 20 days, which rules him out of the 18:00 CET kick-off (17:00 UK, 12:00 ET) against Napoli.

The Roma coach did not play the problem down. "Now Pellegrini is injured too," he said. "Against Napoli we have an extra day, but there are few of us." He added that Roma will be "short of numbers if we don't get Dybala back".

The tone has changed since the 4-0 win over Slovan Bratislava. On Tuesday evening Gasperini had sent Allegri a direct message: "Hi Max, I'm coming. We both won and we're arriving in good spirits." Now Trigoria (Roma's training ground) is counting absentees.

Koné was already out with a muscle problem. Malen is back after serving a one-match ban. Pellegrini is now injured as well, and Gasperini chose to make the doubt over Dybala public himself.

A depleted Roma is no excuse

It would be easy to treat this as good news. It is not, or at least it is not enough. Roma are third on 17 points after seven rounds. Napoli are ninth on 10, seven points behind.

Napoli's own treatment room is full. Alisson Santos has suffered another injury to his left hamstring. Buongiorno has had knee surgery on his meniscus and will be out for some time. Vergara joined in with the squad for only half a session.

The bigger problem is not the opponent. It is inside the team. Against Bodø/Glimt at home Napoli conceded three goals and were pegged back each of the three times they went ahead. Allegri said it himself:

"When we are in our own half, we are fragile."

So the question is simple. If Roma come to Fuorigrotta (the district around the stadium) without Pellegrini and Koné, and perhaps without Dybala, and Napoli still do not beat them, what explanation is left?

The club has made this match the second test of Allegri, after the 4-3 against Bodø/Glimt. Gasperini has admitted his problems. On Saturday at 18:00, Napoli are the ones who have to provide answers.