Roma has doubts about the ability of Paulo Dybala and Georginio Wijnaldum ahead of the UEFA Europa League final against Sevilla on May 31, and with only one league match against Fiorentina before that, Jose Mourinho’s stars are racing against time to prepare sufficiently for the upcoming Wednesday.
Dybala is still suffering the consequences of a serious intervention by Jose Luis Palomino during the final minutes of Roma’s match against Atalanta on April 24, a game in which he entered in the second half and barely managed to finish.
‘La Joya’ has had some appearances off the bench since then, but he hasn’t started a game for the Giallorossi since their 1-0 victory against Torino on April 8.
By the time the UEFA Europa League final at the Puskas Arena in Budapest arrives on May 31, almost two months will have passed since Dybala’s last start for Roma, raising concerns for Mourinho about the impact he could have against the six-time champions, Sevilla.
La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that the situation around Wijnaldum is slightly more positive. The Italian newspaper wrote on Tuesday afternoon that the presence of the Dutchman in the Europa League final is not necessarily in doubt, but he is “certainly not” in 100 percent form.
The former Liverpool midfielder suffered an injury during the quarterfinal match against Feyenoord in April, and despite appearing for Roma since then, his impact has been somewhat weak.
There is a chance that Wijnaldum could feature against Fiorentina on Saturday as a “test” before the Europa League final next Wednesday, but the 32-year-old has only eight days to return to his ideal condition.