Cristante's Back Problem Turns Into Knee Trouble as Roma Wait on Como

Roma's international break has ended the way it started: with a midfielder in the treatment room. Bryan Cristante withdrew from Italy duty because of a back injury, and the follow-up has been worse than the original problem — knee soreness picked up during his recovery that will sideline him for a little while, according to the latest Serie A injury roundups.

One problem becomes two

Cristante's back complaint was judged serious enough for him to leave the Azzurri camp before the final match of the window, a cautious call for a player who has carried a heavy share of Roma's midfield minutes across recent seasons. The knee soreness that emerged afterwards has pushed his return date back further, and with Serie A resuming this weekend he is now a doubt for the visit of Como.

The timing is unhelpful for a squad trying to build early-season rhythm. Cristante's value to Roma has always been the unglamorous half of midfield — screening the back line, taking the ball under pressure, protecting a defence that has been reworked around him. Without him, the balance of the centre shifts onto younger legs.

What it means for Como

Como arrive with their own question mark up front — Moise Kean left Italy's camp early with a knock and remains uncertain for the trip to the capital, a story their medical staff will decide late in the week. For Roma, the absence of Cristante turns a home fixture against a promoted-calibre opponent into a game that will test the depth chart rather than just the first eleven.

The next bulletin from Trigoria will say whether the knee settles quickly or joins Roma's long-stay injury list. Either way, the midfielder's window has gone from a routine back spasm to a two-part absence, and Roma's restart now starts without one of its most reliable pieces.