Rome welcomes back duo for Parma match, Juve visits Cesena
MILAN (AP) - Roma welcomes back Ivory Coast strikers Gervinho and Seydou Doumbia as it looks to start clawing back some of the lost ground to Serie A leader Juventus.
Gervinho has been absent for all of January, along with new signing Doumbia, as the pair helped Ivory Coast win the African Cup of Nations.
The duo are expected to land back in Rome on Thursday or Friday, where Doumbia will finally meet his new teammates after signing from CSKA Moscow last month.
Roma has struggled without Gervinho and last week's 2-1 victory at Cagliari snapped a run of four consecutive draws, which saw it slip seven points behind Juventus.
It hosts crisis club Parma on Sunday afternoon, with Juventus visiting Cesena a few hours later.
"It was fundamental for us to get the three points at Cagliari because things weren't going well," Roma defender Vasilis Torosidis said. "There was and there is a lot of pressure at Roma, I don't like it even if I'm used to it by now."
The return of Gervinho and Doumbia will be a welcome relief for coach Rudi Garcia, who is still facing a host of personnel problems.
Kevin Strootman is out again for the rest of the season, while forwards Juan Iturbe and Victor Ibarbo are also facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Jose Holebas is suspended and Francesco Totti missed training midweek with flu but Daniele De Rossi could return from injury.
Parma slipped to its fifth consecutive loss with a midweek defeat at home to Chievo Verona and remained bottom. The club was also sold last week for the second time this season.
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THE NEW MESSI?
Everyone in Italian football is raving about Palermo forward Paulo Dybala.
Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini has slapped a 40 million-euro price tag on the youngster, saying he will be a better player than Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi.
The 21-year-old Dybala has netted 11 times in 21 league appearances this season and is aiming to beat fellow Argentines Carlos Tevez and Mauro Icardi to the top goalscorer's crown.
Dybala could find himself lining up alongside Tevez for Juventus next season, although he is keener to leave Italy to link up with a different compatriot.
"When I play PlayStation I always choose to be Barcelona or Manchester City," he said. "It's my dream to play for those clubs. I've never hidden the fact that I'd love to play alongside Messi."
With his number of assists also increasing, it is no surprise Dybala is being followed by top clubs and Zamparini is set to cash in on his star this summer before his contract expires the following year.
"Dybala exploded onto the scene this year, but I already knew he was very good," Zamparini said. "But he is in the hands of people who don't want what is right for him. It would be very difficult for him to stay at Palermo.
"I don't talk anymore to him. He's changed a lot. He's a golden boy corrupted by awful teachers. Now he is influence by those who see him as just a money-making machine."
Palermo hosts third-place Napoli on Saturday, with the visitors looking to - provisionally at least - cut the gap to second-placed Roma to one point.
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NAGATOMO INJURED
Inter Milan defender Yuto Nagatomo is expected to miss another two months of the season after aggravating a thigh injury sustained while playing for Japan at the Asian Cup in Australia last month.
Nagatomo, who returned to action on Feb. 4, was forced off the pitch in the first half of Inter's 3-0 victory at home against Palermo last weekend and has a right hamstring injury.
It is a blow for the Japan star, who has had problems with his left thigh and calf as well as his right shoulder this season.
Inter visits relegation-threatened Atalanta on Sunday.
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NO TEVEZ NO GOALS?
High-scoring Juventus could struggle for goals at Cesena on Sunday night.
Massimiliano Allegri team may have scored the most goals so far this season and have the league's top scorer, but trips to Cesena are often tight affairs and Carlos Tevez is suspended.
Juventus has yet to score more than two goals in a league match against Cesena in Emilia-Romagna, although it has won five of those 12 meetings, losing just once.
Tevez has scored 14 goals this season, one more than Mauro Icardi, but will serve a one-match ban for yellow card accumulation following his booking in last weekend's victory against AC Milan.
Alvaro Morata is going from strength to strength this season and is likely to line up alongside Fernando Llorente in attack after scoring and assisting in the same match for the first time in his career.
"Tevez is a very important player for this team and he is an entertainer," Allegri said. "But I'm not worried by his absence because I have good players in attack in the squad."