After gutting out a 1-1 draw in Rotterdam against Feyenoord in Thursday’s Europa League playoff first leg, the Giallorossi must now turn their attention back to domestic action. While Thursday’s return leg against their newfound rivals at the Olimpico will be highly anticipated, Sunday’s match at Frosinone is no throwaway.
After racking up nine points in his first three league matches as manager, Daniele De Rossi suffered his first league loss to Inter last Sunday at the Olimpico. So, Roma will have to rebound on the short trip across Lazio to Frosinone against old manager Eusebio Di Francesco. Points in matches like this one will be vital in the race for a top-four spot.
With that in mind, De Rossi will have to do the careful balancing act of managing his starting eleven to save some of his key pieces for Thursday without sacrificing too much quality against a struggling Giallazzurri side. And, as Jimmy pointed out in his match preview, one player who could be rested is Paolo Dybala, which would make way for Tommaso Baldanzi to make his first Roma start.
This feels like the perfect spot to have Baldanzi get his first start, and he’ll likely be joined by Stephan El Shaarawy on the opposite wing after Nicola Zalewski started on Thursday. Those two will flank Romelu Lukaku.
In the midfield, we should see one change, with Bryan Cristante returning to the starting XI in place of Edoardo Bove. Filling out the midfield should be Lorenzo Pellegrini and Leandro Paredes, though Gazzetta dello Sport claims this could be a spot for Renato Sanches to spell Pellegrini.
In defense, all the major publications are again projecting the same center-back pairing of Gianluca Mancini and Diego Llorente. However, De Rossi will have plenty of options for this one, with Dean Huijsen, Chris Smalling, and Evan Ndicka all back to full availability. So, even if those two starts, perhaps one of those three could give Mancini a rest.
Where there will be changes is at full-back, where Angeliño and one of Rasmus Kristensen and Zeki Çelik will replace Leo Spinazzola and Rick Karsdorp. Rounding out the XI is Rui Patricio, who is expected to replace Mile Svilar in the lineup.
ROMA (4-3-3): Patricio; Angeliño, Llorente, Mancini, Kristensen; Cristante, Paredes, Pellegrini; El Shaarawy, Lukaku, Baldanzi.