After finishing second in Serie A last term, Roma will make their long awaited return to Champions League action on Wednesday against CSKA Moscow.
Its been four seasons since the Giallorossi last played in Europe’s premier club competition and Rudi Garcia’s task has been complicated by the enforced absence of key players in his midfield for this clash at the Olympico.
With Kevin Strootman still injured and Daniele De Rossi suspended, the French coach is expected to turn to former Barcelona dynamo Seydou Keita to run the engine room alongside Miralem Pjanic.
In attack it’s likely to be all change from the weekend’s trip to Empoli as the more familiar trident of Francesco Totti, Gervinho and Juan Iturbe return to the side.
At the back Leonardo Castan will miss this fixture with a thigh injury, meaning that new signings Davide Astori and Kostas Manolas should form the central pairing, with Maicon and Ashley Cole either side.
CSKA coach Leonid Slutsky also comes into this game with several important players missing. Midfielders Alan Dzagoev and Pontus Wernbloom are both suspended, while Vitinho and Rasmus Elm will not be available due to fitness problems.
PROBABLE LINE UPS
Roma (4-3-3) – De Sanctis; Maicon, Manolas, Astori, Cole; Pjanic, Keita, Nainggolan; Iturbe, Totti, Gervinho.
CSKA Moscow (4-2-3-1) – Akinfeev; Fernandez, Ignashevich, V. Berezutski, Nabakin; Natcho, Milanov; Tosic, Eremenko, Musa; Doumbia.
