December 23, 2024

Europa League line-ups: Roma vs. Brighton

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Roma rely on Romelu Lukaku and Paulo Dybala for the Europa League showdown with Roberto De Zerbi’s Brighton and Hove Albion.

The first leg of the Round of 16 kicks off at the Stadio Olimpico at 17.45 GMT.

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from this game, Milan-Slavia Praha and Maccabi Haifa-Fiorentina on the LIVEBLOG.

The Giallorossi have been a transformed team since Daniele De Rossi took over from Jose Mourinho, knocking Feyenoord out of the play-offs and earning six wins and a single defeat to Inter in Serie A.

Rasmus Kristensen is injured anyway, while Dean Huijsen and Sardar Azmoun are also ineligible for the Europa League, and Tammy Abraham a long-term absentee.

Rick Karsdorp is not fully fit either, so Zeki Celik starts at right-back, while Lorenzo Pellegrini and Leandro Paredes support Dybala, Lukaku and Stephan El Shaarawy.

De Zerbi has earned plenty of new fans during his time at Brighton, prompting links with the job at Milan, Liverpool, Barcelona, Chelsea and Bayern Munich.

He achieved that by getting the Seagulls into their first ever European campaign and then topping the group.

Former Fiorentina defender Igor is in defence, while Billy Gilmour is available because his three-match ban only applies to the Premier League.

Joao Pedro, Kaoru Mitoma, Solly March, James Milner and Jack Hinshelwood are injured.

Veteran Danny Welbeck leads the attack after he was rested for the defeat to Fulham, with support from Facundo Buonanotte, leaving Barcelona-owned talent Ansu Fati on the bench.

Roma: Svilar; Celik, Mancini, Ndicka, Spinazzola; Cristante, Paredes, Pellegrini; Dybala, Lukaku, El Shaarawy

Roma bench: Rui Patricio, Boer, Karsdorp, Smalling, Llorente, Azmoun, Renato Sanches, Aouar, Baldanzi, Bove, Zalewski, Angelino

Brighton: Steele; Igor, Dunk, van Hecke; Lamptey, Gilmour, Gross, Adingra; Buonanotte, Enciso; Welbeck

Brighton bench: Verbruggen, McGill, Webster, Lallana, Moder, Baleba, Ferguson, Estupinan, Fati, Veltman, Peupion, Baker-Boaitey

Ref: Letexier (FRA)

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