Roma

Totti Set To Be Ready For Arsenal Date

Roma have received good news in the fact that Francesco Totti's injury is less serious than first thought.

4 Jan 2009 14:04:17

Much of Roma's hopes of a respectable finish in Serie A rest on the shoulders of captain Francesco Totti (Grazia Neri)

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Much of Roma's hopes of a respectable finish in Serie A rest on the shoulders of captain Francesco Totti (Grazia Neri)

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Francesco Totti

Captain Totti limped off with a thigh injury in the first half of his side's defeat to Catania shortly before the winter break.

Initial tests showed that the Giallorossi talisman would be out for two months, ruling him out of the Champions League clash in London against Arsenal.

However, after further tests conducted recently, evidence has shown that Totti could now be back in action at the end of this month. A press communication on the Roma website read: “Compared to the previous test, a clear reduction of the injured area was evident and the effusion has disappeared.”

It seems that Totti could return to training in two weeks and be back on the pitch in a month, in time to gain match fitness ahead of the difficult tie at the Emirates Stadium.

Roma face Arsenal in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 encounter on February 24. The influential Roma captain was injured last year when the capital club went out of the competition to eventual winners Manchester United at the quarter-final stage.

The news will come as music to coach Luciano Spalletti’s ears, as the team always seem to perform so much better with Totti on the pitch.

Peter Pedroncelli, Goal.com