Roma boss Jose Mourinho addressed the team’s repeated fitness issues.
On the eve of the match with Lecce, Mourinho told reporters that Dybala and Sanches – although in limited capacity – will be available for tonight.
In his pre-match presser, Mourinho also made it a point to highlight how their fragile condition contributed to them being here in the first place.
“An injured footballer is one thing, another is someone with a long medical history, i.e. someone who cyclically has physical problems that recur year after year. They are different things: a contact injury is one thing, like that of Dybala last year with Palomino during the match against Atalanta.”
“Another is Gareth Bale: the Welshman was in the best club in the world for several years, but his medical history did not allow him to be super, but only at certain moments. However, when he was missing, there were others who took his place and kept the level high.”
“Roma have several players with a clinical history, and I’m happy to have them at certain times. But Dybala or Sanches wouldn’t be here if they hadn’t had certain problems in the past,” emphasized the Special One.
“Smalling? I will be happy when I can have him back with the team. If we are missing five starters we lose a lot; if Inter, Milan, Juventus, Atalanta or Fiorentina are missing they have substitutes. We have them, but it’s not the same thing: Bove and Zalewski, for example, play for Roma but are not finished products. There are other people to ask, I always give my best: I don’t want to get into criticism or planning for the future by saying what is missing and what isn’t missing.”
