Sunderland will face Jose Mourinho’s Roma in Portugal this week – with some established internationals and ex-Premier League players set to feature.
Roma’s last competitive match was in the 2022 UEFA Europa Conference League Final, as the Serie A side beat Feyenoord 1-0.
This will be their first official friendly of pre-season, though Mourinho’s team did beat local side Trastevere 5-0 in a training match last week.
Here’s the Roma team which could start against Sunderland at Estadio Municipal de Albufeira
1. GK: Rui Patricio
The 34-year-old former Wolves goalkeeper joined Roma last summer and has started every league game since.
2. CB: Gianluca Mancini
After three years at the club, the 26-year-old Italian center-back has just signed a new long-term contract with Roma that will last until 2027.
3. CB: Chris Smalling
Smalling had to wait for Mourinho’s appointment last summer and missed the start of the 2021/22 season due to a hamstring injury. The former Manchester United defender, 32, regained his confidence and was named man of the match in their 1-0 win over Feyenoord in the Europa Conference League final.
4. CB: Roger Ibanez
The 23-year-old Brazilian defender joined Roma on loan in January 2020 and has been a first-team regular for the last two seasons, playing in a back three.
5. RWB: Rick Karsdorp
A player who has been on the outskirts of the Netherlands squad. Karsdorp can play as a right-back or wing-back and had seven assists in all competitions last season.
6. CM: Nemanja Matic
After the Serb’s contract at Manchester United expired, the club made a new signing. Matic, 33, has now worked for Mourinho at Chelsea, Manchester United, and Roma.
7. CM: Jordan Veretout
Since joining Roma from Fiorentina in 2019, the French midfielder has made 130 appearances for the club in his fourth season.
8. LWB: Leonardo Spinazzola
Before suffering an Achilles tendon injury in the quarter-finals of Euro 2020, he was one of Italy’s standout players. Spinazzola returned to action at the end of the previous season and was even called up to his national team squad for recent Nations League matches.
9. CAM: Lorenzo Pellegrini
After representing Italy in the Nations League last month, the Roma captain has rejoined the squad. Pellegrini is an attacking midfielder who scored nine goals and assisted five times in the league last season.
10. ST: Eldor Shomurodov
After joining Roma for a large fee last summer, the Uzbek striker will be looking to improve his goalscoring statistics after scoring just three goals in 28 Serie A appearances last season. Shomurodov did score in Roma’s 5-0 pre-season win over Trastevere last week.
11. ST: Tammy Abraham
Following his call-up for England last month, Abraham also joined the Roma squad later in pre-season. The former Chelsea striker signed a permanent contract with the Italian club last summer and scored 27 goals in all competitions during the 2021/22 season.
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