At the most crucial moment of the season, Inter have pulled away from the rest of the league and are cementing their hold on top spot. The Nerazzurri won a one-sided match against Roma at San Siro, securing a 5-2 victory in a game that was never in doubt. Ahead of tomorrow evening’s late kick-off between Napoli and Milan, Chivu’s side are currently top of the table, nine points clear of the Rossoneri and ten points ahead of Antonio Conte’s side. Lautaro Martinez opened the scoring after just one minute; the Giallorossi responded with an equaliser from Mancini just before half-time, but the second half was a one-sided affair; Calhanoglu, Lautaro again, then Thuram and Barella. Pellegrini’s goal, which sealed the match, was in vain.
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Mancini’s injury: how he is and when he might return – his condition, Gasperini’s comments and who could play in his place against Roma
GASPERINI'S COMMENTS ON MANCINI
One of the standout players of the match was Roma defender Gianluca Mancini, who was substituted due to injury at the start of the second half: Ghilardi came on in his place, but after Mancini’s departure, the Giallorossi collapsed and Inter stepped up a gear. In the coming hours, the Giallorossi centre-back will undergo specific tests to assess the extent of the injury and, above all, the recovery time to determine whether he will be available for the next match against Pisa; but whilst awaiting further details, Roma manager Gian Piero Gasperini spoke about his defender’s condition in the post-match interview: “Mancini is an important player for us, and when we’re at full strength we’re certainly more competitive.”
WHO COULD REPLACE MANCINI AT ROMA?
Should Mancini be ruled out of Roma’s upcoming matches, the Giallorossi would lose a key player, particularly in terms of character and leadership. In that case, the manager would need to find a new defender to replace him, and the main candidate could well be Ghilardi, who has already filled his shoes at San Siro; the alternative could be the Polish player Ziolkowski, who has played in every position in Gasperini’s three-man defence. Celik has also been deployed on the right flank on several occasions; he could be an option, but this would likely only be the case if Wesley recovers in time to play on the wing.
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