Paulo Dybala could be back in the Roma squad on Tuesday night. Gian Piero Gasperini said on Monday that the Argentina forward is the only injured Roma player who might return to face Cagliari, with a place on the bench the target after a calf injury that has kept him out for three games.
Dybala has not played since Roma's 4-3 defeat by Real Madrid on 14 October, when he went off at half-time with the calf problem. He may not have scored yet this season, but Roma have missed his invention: his four assists in Serie A this term are a joint league high, and no Roma attacker knits Gasperini's front line together quite like him.
Gasperini optimistic, but Kone and Svilar miss out
Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Monday, as reported by Football Italia, Gasperini was clear about both the hope and the limits. "In terms of recovery, the only one that might be possible is Dybala," he said, ruling out Manu Kone and Mile Svilar. "We'll try things out to see if we can have him with us on the bench. That in itself would be a positive. I have a lot of confidence."
Gasperini also warned that rotation is coming. Monday was Roma's first training session since Saturday's game and already the eve of the Cagliari match, so the starting team will be decided late. "Probably yes, but we'll see based on our assessment of the opponent," he said of making changes. "We have a squad that is capable of rotating well." Matias Soule, who has played on both flanks and centrally this season, is one of those who has grown into that flexibility in Dybala's absence.
Roma protecting an unbeaten start
Roma go into Tuesday third in Serie A on 18 points, four points behind the leaders, after twice fighting back in Saturday's dramatic 3-3 draw at Napoli. Their unbeaten run in the league now stretches to 15 matches dating back to April, and at the Stadio Olimpico they are unbeaten in 16 consecutive top-flight home games. Cagliari, ninth on 13 points, arrive on the back of two straight defeats after a strong start to the season.
Gasperini was also asked about Napoli coach Massimiliano Allegri, who was sent off after Saturday's game and has since been given a two-match ban following his tunnel outburst about Roma. Gasperini refused to be drawn into a feud. "I didn't hear them, you reported them," he said. "The numbers are the sum of everything that we did last year. I didn't read any comments about that, which was certainly unfortunate."
So what does it mean?
A fit Dybala, even for 20 minutes off the bench, changes Roma's ceiling in tight games. Their next weeks are about staying in touch with Inter and Lazio at the top — Inter tightened their grip with a late win over Fiorentina on Sunday — and Roma cannot afford to drop home points against mid-table opponents while their most creative player watches from the stands. Cagliari at home is exactly the kind of fixture that decides whether an unbeaten start becomes a title challenge or fades into a top-four scrap.
There is also a balance to strike. Rushing Dybala back from a calf injury risks losing him for far longer than three games, which is why Gasperini's language — bench first, optimism second — matters. Roma's squad depth has carried them this far; Tuesday is a test of whether it can carry them one game further without gambling on their star.
Beyond the Final Whistle: Dybala on the bench would be a bonus, in Gasperini's own words — but the bigger story is that Roma have stayed unbeaten and in the title picture without their best player. Get him back properly, not quickly, and this side becomes a genuine problem for Inter and Lazio. Our verdict: name him on the bench, use him only if the game demands it, and protect the calf that Roma's season may depend on. Should Gasperini risk Dybala against Cagliari, or save him completely until he is fully fit? Tell us in the comments.
