After going down with a thigh injury in the final minutes of a home win against Andreazzoli’s Empoli, Chris Smalling has been steadily recovering for the past month.
The Englishman is in fact in the final stages of recovery after undergoing medical consultations in London a week ago.
According to Il Messaggero, Smalling hopes to be called up for the match against Genoa after the international break.
This way the English defender could aim at returning to the starting line-up in the Conference League fixture against Zorya Luhansk on November 25th.
Despite his physical problems, Mourinho likes what Smalling offers to the team: the experienced centre-back helps stabilize the backline and helps younger players like Mancini and Ibanez play with more confidence.
It remains to be seen whether Roma will aim to invest in an additional defender in January given Smalling’s unstable physical condition: a lot will depend on his return after the international break.
