Roma's European ambitions suffered a serious blow on Tuesday night as they surrendered a two-goal lead at Old Trafford, losing 3-2 to a Manchester United side that had barely threatened for an hour. The defeat leaves Roma with four points from four Champions League matches and raises real questions about the team's ability to manage games from positions of strength in Europe. It is the second time this season they have been pegged back from a winning position in the competition, and the pattern is becoming harder to ignore. Gasperini's side have also shown a tendency to concede early in the second half, a structural concern that will need addressing.

The injury situation adds further strain. Goalkeeper Mile Svilar remains sidelined, and Pierluigi Gollini was ruled out at Old Trafford with a back problem, forcing debutant Devis Vasquez into a Champions League start. Paulo Dybala and Lorenzo Pellegrini are also unavailable, with Gasperini confirming before the international break that recovering any of Svilar, Dybala or Mouctar Diakhaby Koné in time looks extremely difficult.

Domestically, the picture is brighter. Roma sit third in Serie A with 24 points from ten games, one behind Inter, after a dominant 5-2 win at Udinese last weekend. Rodrigo Mora and Dango Ouattara Malen have emerged as key figures in attack. Next up is Sassuolo at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday, a fixture Roma will expect to win as they look to maintain pressure on the sides above them.