Lorenzo Pellegrini’s return is set to give Roma more than an extra option for the visit to Como. After 184 days away from match action, the midfielder is close to stepping back into the championship with a renewed place inside the club: no longer carrying every expectation alone, but still central to the dressing room and to the team’s season.
The coach and the club
Pellegrini has remained a reference point at Trigoria throughout his recovery. Even without the armband, he is regarded as one of Roma’s leading voices. Gian Piero Gasperini has allocated the captaincy according to appearances for the Giallorossi, yet Pellegrini’s standing among teammates has not diminished.
The club confirmed his new contract on 8 August, ending a long period of uncertainty. He had turned down approaches from both Italy and abroad, while the decision to keep him was shared across Roma, from the coach to the senior players and the wider squad.
That commitment followed a season in which Pellegrini had rebuilt momentum, finishing with seven goals and four assists. Injury then interrupted him just as his performances had become more consistent. Rather than detach himself during the lay-off, he stayed close to the group and continued to occupy a leadership role around the training ground.
On social media, Pellegrini recently wrote that real happiness comes from being at peace with the people around you. The message reflects a year in which family, friends, colleagues and a quieter working routine have helped him find steadier ground.
A route back to Como
- Pellegrini last played on 10 April.
- His rehabilitation included two initial weeks of work followed by a further three weeks of intensive training at Trigoria.
- Recent physical assessments produced encouraging results in pace, acceleration, endurance and match rhythm.
- He is now in contention to feature at the Stadio Sinigaglia against Como.
Roma’s staff consider him fully recovered, although his current match capacity is estimated at around an hour. That leaves open the possibility of a start, with a change later in the second half if required.
Gasperini may use him behind the forwards in a 3-4-1-2, where Pellegrini could supply Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen while also dropping deeper to tighten the side’s work without the ball. Roma want to press high and disrupt Como’s first phase of possession, and Pellegrini’s return offers an experienced option for that task.
His preparation has also had one practical advantage. While Matías Soulé and Niccolò Pisilli were away on international duty, Pellegrini continued his work in Rome, building fitness without interruption.
Seven matches in twenty days
The Como fixture begins a demanding sequence of seven games in 20 days, and Roma will need to manage Pellegrini carefully after such a long absence. Still, his return arrives at a useful moment for a side entering an intense stretch of the calendar.
For Pellegrini, the objective is not simply to reclaim minutes. It is to recover the sense of freedom that had returned before injury stopped his season: a clear mind, a fit body and a place in the Roma project that has remained intact during his months on the sidelines.
