Football Italia
·26 September 2024
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·26 September 2024
Roma give Mario Hermoso his full debut and start Paulo Dybala, Tommaso Baldanzi and Artem Dovbyk in the Europa League against Athletic Club.
It kicks off at the Stadio Olimpico at 20.00 UK time (19.00 GMT).
Like the Champions League, the Europa League has changed format for one big league table, with each team facing eight different opponents.
Ivan Juric made his debut on the bench in Sunday’s 3-0 win over Udinese, just days after Daniele De Rossi was sensationally sacked.
Lorenzo Pellegrini, Enzo Le Fée and Alexis Saelemaekers are all out of action, but otherwise squad rotation is kept to a minimum.
Baldanzi gets a chance after his goal against Udinese, with Paulo Dybala behind Dovbyk.
The big change is Hermoso getting his first start in the three-man defence and Manu Kone’ is preferred in midfield to Niccolo’ Pisilli.
Athletic Club made the trip without injured midfielder Oihan Sancet, but goalkeeper Julen Agirrezebala and EURO 2024 star Nico Williams shook off knocks.
However, Nico Williams is only on the bench, with his brother Inaki Williams starting.
It has been a good start to the season for the Basque side, who earned four wins, a draw and narrow defeats to Barcelona and Atletico Madrid in LaLiga.
Roma: Svilar; Mancini, Ndicka, Hermoso; Celik, Koné, Cristante, Angelino; Dybala, Baldanzi; Dovbyk
Athletic Club: Agirrezabala; Gorosabel, Vivian, A Paredes, Berchiche; Prados, Galarreta; Inaki Williams, Unai Gomez, Alvaro Djaló; Guruzeta
Ref: Kabakov (BUL)