Blow for Roma as Gervinho sidelined
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Roma's UEFA Champions League last 16 hopes could be dented after Côte d'Ivoire striker Gervinho was ruled out of action for three weeks by the Italian Serie A club on Thursday. Gervinho hobbled off in the 72nd minute of Côte d'Ivoire's FIFA World Cup™ qualifier against Liberia on Tuesday and scans on Thursday revealed damage to the thigh muscle just above his knee cap.
A statement by Roma said: "Gervinho underwent scans which revealed damage to the rectus femoris muscle in his right thigh. He will be out of action for three weeks."
The loss of Gervinho, who has found the net seven times for the Giallorossi this season - once in the Champions League - could hit Roma particularly hard when they travel to Barcelona next week in a bid to maintain their last 16 hopes. Rudi Garcia's men sit second in Group E, five points behind Barcelona but only a point ahead of Bayer Leverkusen, who travel to BATE Borisov.
Defeat at the Nou Camp would significantly dent Roma's hopes of reaching the knockout stages of the competition for the first time since the 2010/11 season, and pile on the pressure ahead of their final group game, at home to BATE, next month.
Gervinho's only goal in the competition thus far came in Roma's 3-2 defeat to BATE but the Ivorian has been in sparkling form for Roma in the past two months. Ahead of Saturday's away game at Bologna, Roma sit third in the league only a point behind leaders Fiorentina.