Gasperini: Angelino is unlikely to start without Pele, Roma must win the Europa League

In the third round of the Europa League, Roma will face Plzen Victory at home. Roma coach Gasperini was interviewed before the game.

Angelino continues to be excluded from the roster for this game. What is his physical condition?

Angelino is undergoing medical examination. This is not something I can be sure of. I must follow the doctor's advice. We hope he can return as soon as possible and everything goes well. In addition to him, other Roma players are currently available.

Leon Bailey came back as a substitute in the last round of Serie A. Can he start this game?

I will repeat what I have said many times in the past: any player who comes on the field is first choice, whether starting or coming off the bench. He can play, but rules dictate that it is impossible for all players to play. In this particular situation, he is unlikely to start as he has not played in a game for a long time. The most important thing is that he has returned to physical condition. He will still need a few weeks to reach his best condition, but he can contribute in the game.

What do you think of this game?

This is an important game and we need to win to improve our ranking. Our draw is not easy and we have to fight for points game by game. As we saw last season, this new European competition format has kept the standings very tight, with very small gaps. We need to remember that and also get back to winning ways after losing to Lille in the last round.

Among Ferguson and Dolph Beek, who is your first-choice forward?

Nowadays, all Italian and European clubs must rotate their forwards. Just look at the substitutions in each game. Last Saturday, Inter Milan replaced Pio Esposito. There are now 5 substitutions in each game, including at least 2 or 3 forward substitutions. This is what we have seen since the epidemic, after changing to 5 substitutions. As I just said, every player who comes out deserves to start, and when you play two games a week, you need to use a lot of players in the game, especially the forwards. You only have to look at the club's signings and substitutions every game to see that, you'll want to send in your strikers to turn things around or seal the win outright, and here's why.

Can Leon Bailey also play center?

In an emergency, anything can happen, but I don't think he is suitable to play center. He is an attacking player and should spend most of his time in the frontcourt. I think in the past he's played a lot out wide in England, especially on the right, because he's left-footed. I want him to be more central and closer to the goal now, just like Sule and some other players, and I also want Pele to be deployed that way. But he is not used to this way of playing football yet and we need to learn together and evaluate his abilities.