Light is beginning to appear at the end of the tunnel for Roma after their injury crisis, which will be a welcome relief to Paulo Fonseca.
The coach has had to deal with limited resources over the past month after a string of injuries to key players. However, some are now returning, which will give Roma more flexibility in their lineup selections.
One of Fonseca’s major dilemmas will be how to get the best out of Javier Pastore and Lorenzo Pellegrini. The former has been working hard and influencing the action recently, having put together his longest run of successive starts in five years. Meanwhile, Pellegrini – who recently resumed training with the main group – was one of Roma’s standout players in the first few weeks of the season before his broken metatarsal.
With both favouring the same position – the number 10 role in Fonseca’s 4-2-3-1 system – the coach will need to work out how to satisfy them both when Pellegrini is back up to full fitness. Here, Giallorossi Yorkshire looks at five ways the pair could line up together.
Option One
While both players perform better in a more advanced role, the more likely of the two to adapt to a deeper position is Pellegrini. The Italian started the first two games of the season as part of the double midfield pivot, and although it didn’t allow him to influence games to the same extent, he was still able to get on the ball often and play his part in keeping possession ticking over.
Roma could opt for a narrow setup ahead of him, with the in-form Nicolo Zaniolo and fellow returner Henrikh Mkhitaryan flanking Pastore. The Argentine is at his best when his teammates are close by, allowing him to play through balls and neat passes. Having two inverted wingers either side of him would ensure Roma’s link-up play would function at its maximum.
Option Two
Alternatively, Fonseca may opt for more pace on the wings. Pellegrini’s range of passing means he could create plenty of chances from deep with long balls for speedy wingers to run on to. Therefore, Fonseca could deploy Justin Kluivert and Cengiz Under out wide to latch on to those aerial passes.
Such an approach would be more attacking, meaning some balance may be needed in the middle. Defender Gianluca Mancini could maintain his position in the midfield, where he has been covering for the absences, to protect the backline and keep that part of the pitch sturdy.
Option Three
Of course, Pellegrini’s productivity increases when he is played further forward, but Pastore is unlikely to budge from the attacking midfield role. Therefore, Fonseca could experiment by playing Pellegrini in a wider attacking role, on the left of the advanced midfield three.
While it is not a natural role for the 23-year-old, he has played out wide on occasion for the national team. At this summer’s Euro Under-21 Championship, Pellegrini played as a left-sided forward for Italy against Belgium, and provided an assist for Patrick Cutrone. With the left wing one of Roma’s weaker areas at present, perhaps he could step in to resolve the issue until Mkhitaryan also makes a full recovery.
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Option Four
If Pellegrini was to stay in a more defensive midfield role, then it would also raise the question of how to get Jordan Veretout in the side. The Frenchman has been one of Roma’s best players in Pellegrini’s absence and won’t give up his starting berth easily.
The pair could sit alongside one another in central midfield, using their energy and creativity to keep the engine room running. Ahead of them, a balance may be needed, with Mkhitaryan offering a little more defensive cover and Under being a pacy outlet.
Playing Pastore and Under next to each other would bring its own benefits. The duo demonstrated in pre-season that they have a good understanding and can cause danger for opponents with their connections. Mkhitaryan’s tendency to come more central would mean the trio could combine to great effect.
Option Five
The only way for Fonseca to play both Pastore and Pellegrini in their preferred positions would be to tinker with his tactics. The pair could be deployed as attacking midfielders, but it would leave Roma needing an effective solution in defensive midfield.
Mancini could act as the solution, sitting at the base of a 4-1-4-1 formation. When he first moved into the midfield, that was the system Fonseca used, to ease him into the more advanced role. While the ex-Shakhtar boss only strays from his 4-2-3-1 setup with hesitancy, he may have to in order to get the best out of two of his key players.
Once again, a blend of skillsets would occupy either wing, with Zaniolo a more natural playmaker, who could cover inside if needed, and Kluivert offering speed on the opposite side.
Conclusion
All in all, Fonseca has many options to choose from. The attacking midfield areas have an increasing amount of depth that makes his forward line multi-functional. Whether he abandons his preferred system to accommodate Pellegrini and Pastore remains to be seen, but as shown above, there are several ways he can get both of them in the lineup without changing his tactics too much.
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