Jose Mourinho discusses his selections as Roma face Monza in an early Serie A encounter, noting Romelu Lukaku covers some of the team’s “limitations.”
It begins at 11.30 a.m. UK time (10.30 a.m. GMT) at the Stadio Olimpico.
Diego Llorente returns to the squad, but only as a substitute, therefore Bryan Cristante is re-routed to the center of a three-man defense.
“Llorente does not have 90 minutes in his legs, it would be a risk to start with him. I said a few times yesterday he is at our disposal, but that to me means having a defender on the bench for coverage, which I did not have for a while,” Mourinho told Sky Sport Italia.
“I think if all goes well, if he plays a few minutes today, he can work towards starting on Thursday.”
That game will be the Europa League showdown with joint group leaders Slavia Prague.
Instead, with Cristante removed from his traditional midfield role, that slot is filled by youth product Edoardo Bove.
“I like that we are not looking at him as a young player, we see him as a mature player. He played a lot with us over the last two seasons, he is no longer a surprise, he understands the dynamics, learns incredibly quickly and has great physicality too. When we are missing Cristante in midfield, Edoardo can play there and give stability to our team.”
With Paulo Dybala injured, the reliance on Lukaku becomes even more evident and he already has seven goals in eight games between Serie A and the Europa League.
“Lukaku scored goals everywhere, even when he played in smaller clubs like West Bromwich Albion. He has goals in his nature. Aside from that, he is an important reference point for us,” added Mourinho.
“We are not a very fast team, we have a few limitations when we lose the ball or regain it, so he gives us a reference point. He is no longer the kid I knew when we first met at Chelsea, he is a man with a strong mentality and we need that kind of strong presence in the locker room.”
