Manchester United's hopes of ending their nine-game winless run under Michael Carrick have been boosted by Roma's ongoing injury problems, with the Serie A side bringing only 17 outfield players to Old Trafford for Tuesday night's Champions League tie.
Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini confirmed at Monday's pre-match press conference that his squad is depleted as they continue to cope with a hectic fixture schedule. Paulo Dybala, Mile Svilar, Manu Kone and Lorenzo Pellegrini are among those absent, though results have not suffered, with Roma winning four of their last five matches across all competitions.
Contrasting Form Ahead of Old Trafford Clash
Roma arrive in England having beaten Udinese 5-2 in Serie A on Saturday, a result that lifted them to third in the table. That run stands in stark contrast to Manchester United, whose current nine-game winless streak is their worst since the 1988/89 season.
Carrick remains in charge for the visit of Roma despite a third successive defeat, a 1-0 loss to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. Aston Villa also visit Old Trafford before the next international break, and it has been reported that Carrick's position will be reviewed after those two matches, making them critical.
Gasperini Warns Against Complacency
Despite United's struggles, Gasperini said his side will not underestimate them. "Obviously Manchester United is struggling somewhat in terms of results in the Premier League at the moment," he said on Monday evening. "But we can't get distracted and too hung up on that situation because we know that Manchester United is a strong team, we know that they have top players in their squad."
He added: "We know what the atmosphere is going to be like here as well. They make things very difficult for the opposition here at Old Trafford, so we'll be playing tomorrow's game as if we're playing against Manchester United at the top of its form."
Gasperini also praised Carrick, saying: "He was a great midfielder, a great passer of the ball, understood the game very well. Played in one of the strongest Manchester United teams that we have ever seen, so, yeah, lots of respect for him."
The Roma boss concluded: "It's a strong team. We shouldn't underestimate them because of the results lately. But, for sure, we want to make a great result tomorrow."
