Chris Smalling is unlikely to be ready for the Genoa game due to a muscular injury, and Roma are starting to second-guess their decision not to onboard another defender. They snapped up Evan N’Dicka early in the summer but didn’t replace Roger Ibanez once he moved to Saudi Arabia.
According to Corriere dello Sport, José Mourinho repeatedly asked for a reinforcement but didn’t get it. Thus, they have to navigate the first chuck of the season with just four center-backs. Zeki Celik is the emergency option.
In addition, Smalling hasn’t been great when available, and the other Roma center-backs haven’t stepped up. Gianluca Mancini has been solid as usual, while Diego Llorente has been unconvincing as the linchpin of the rearguard. N’Dicka has yet to adept the Serie A and has had a blunder in pretty much every bout. He lost Duvan Zapata on a set piece on Torino’s later equalizer.
Mourinho assessed the backline in a recent presser.
“We’re missing Ibanez. People remember him for his mistakes, but he was a very strong player who added speed at the position.”
Our Take on Roma and Smalling
The silver lining is that the reason for his subpar showings was quickly explained, as he was playing hurt. They are surely one man short, and, given his age and their schedule, they should have planned accordingly. Even Leonardo Bonucci, albeit visibly declining, would have helped.
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