Renato Sanches played just 18 minutes off the bench in the recent Bologna game. José Mourinho apologized to him and justified the move in the post-game presser (via Il Messaggero).

“We’re living in a situation of hope with him. We always think that the match, the responsibility, and the adrenaline could be the ideal way for him to make the leap. He has emotional scars and many fears that stem from his injuries.”

“He works with low intensity on everything we do, and he improves his volume, but never that. We gave him 60 minutes in the past fixture. I opted to field him in this one because we needed his quality. Then I quickly realized I was wrong and that he wasn’t ready. I’m very sorry, but I couldn’t leave on the pitch a player who subbed in with frustration. I had to make this decision.”

According to Corriere dello Sport (via OneFootball), every scenario will be on the table concerning the future of Renato Sanches in January. He has started just three times so far, twice versus Sheriff Tiraspol in the Europa League.

The Giallorossi signed him on loan from PSG, paying €1M and contributing to his wages. They’d have to buy him out for €11M if he featured in 55 percent of their tilts.

Our Take on Roma and Renato Sanches

If he doesn’t turn the corner in the next month or so, there’s no point in keeping and paying a fee for a player they can’t rely on.

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