Roma’s season has been dealt another difficult turn, with captain Lorenzo Pellegrini facing a lengthy spell out after suffering a serious right-thigh injury during the Champions League win over Slovan Bratislava. The midfielder had only recently returned from a previous physical problem, making his latest setback particularly damaging for Gian Piero Gasperini’s already stretched squad.
Key takeaways
- Pellegrini has sustained a high-grade injury at the distal muscle-tendon junction of the semitendinosus in his right thigh.
- Roma expect the captain to be unavailable for around two months, although a clearer prognosis will follow further tests.
- The 29-year-old will undergo another assessment in two or three weeks, once the swelling has reduced.
- If the initial timeframe is confirmed, Pellegrini could miss roughly 12 matches, including the first league derby.
- His injury adds to Roma’s problems after recent setbacks for Mile Svilar, Manu Koné and Paulo Dybala.
A bright European evening turns costly
Pellegrini’s night against Slovan Bratislava had begun with the sort of influence Roma need from their captain. He first went close to opening the scoring when his effort cleared the crossbar, before playing a decisive role in the first two goals.
His free-kick set the move in motion for Mario Hermoso’s opener, while the attack for Roma’s second began from Pellegrini’s forward pass. Yet only minutes after the restart, the midfielder felt a muscular issue and signalled that he could not continue.
He left the pitch in the 51st minute, with Matías Soulé taking his place. The immediate concern inside the club has now been confirmed by the medical examinations, which identified a high-grade lesion rather than a minor strain.
Gasperini loses another senior figure
The timing is especially frustrating for Pellegrini and Roma. He had returned to action against Como on 11 October after an earlier injury absence, then featured in successive matches against Real Madrid, Genoa and Slovan Bratislava.
That brief run was meant to restore continuity to a player whose status carries importance beyond his place in the team. Instead, Roma must again plan without their captain during a demanding stretch of league and European fixtures.
The club will review Pellegrini’s condition in the coming weeks before setting a definitive return date. For now, the possibility of a two-month absence leaves Gasperini having to manage an emergency that already includes injuries to Svilar, Koné and Dybala, with the derby among the fixtures Pellegrini is at risk of missing.
