Not ideal news for Roma, who will be without Romelu Lukaku for just one game—Sunday’s six-pointer against Bologna—but it’s still an important one.
Similar to yesterday’s discussion of Paulo Dybala’s thigh injury, we begin today’s news round-up with some news that’s not too bad but not terrific. Following his hobbling exit off the field during Roma’s 1-1 tie with Fiorentina in the first half, many speculated that the Giallorossi’s star player would suffer catastrophic injuries. Our biggest concerns were dashed yesterday when it was announced Dybala only has a minor thigh injury, which should keep him out of the game for around a week. Before that, we were dreaming about torn quads or ruptured ACLs.
However, following Sunday’s match, Dybala’s injury wasn’t the only possible sign of impending disaster for Roma. Romelu Lukaku temped fate in the 86th minute by going head-to-head with Fiorentina winger Christian Kouamé, tempting fate with the Giallorossi already down a man after Nicola Zalewski was sent out for accumulating yellow cards.
While Kouamé was fortunate to avoid injury, this was nevertheless a blatant foul by Lukaku. Combine his sheer size, the approach distance, and the speed with which he collided with Kouamé, and it’s a miracle he emerged unscathed. The same could not be said for Lukaku, who drew a straight red for this infraction, putting his immediate future in jeopardy.
With a potential multi-match suspension looming over Lukaku, Roma was preparing for the worst: two critical matches (away to Bologna, home vs. Napoli) without their leading scorer. Accounting for 25% of the club’s league goals, it goes without saying: Roma cannot survive long without Lukaku.