Preview: Roma vs. Bologna – team news, lineups, prediction, live stream

Indeed, Jose Mourinho is perhaps facing his trickiest period since joining Roma in the summer of 2021, with the good will of winning last season’s inaugural Europa Conference League only likely to last so long for the former Chelsea boss.

Perhaps of greater concern to Mourinho will be the significantly improved form of Juventus and his former club Inter Milan before the World Cup began, which undoubtedly makes Roma’s challenge to reach Europe’s elite competition for the first time since the 2018-19 season a much more difficult one.

In the meantime, though, they must focus on getting through one league game at a time, as well as continuing their assault on another European trophy in the shape of the Europa League.

Bologna, meanwhile, put any realistic relegation concerns to bed with a brilliant spell of form throughout late October and November, which moved Thiago Motta’s side 12 points clear of the bottom three.

The former Italy midfielder replaced Sinisa Mihajlovic in I Rossoblu’s managerial dugout in September, and after failing to win any of his opening four league games in charge, he has more than made amends with 12 points from a possible 15 before the domestic season was paused.

Roma will remain without Georginio Wijnaldum and Andrea Belotti, who are unlikely to return to action until later in January due to knee and hamstring injuries respectively.

It appears increasingly likely that Rick Karsdorp has played his last game for Roma, with Mourinho accusing the full-back of “betraying” his team-mates after he failed to join them for their mid-season break in Japan.

Bologna, meanwhile, will travel without Joshua Zirkzee due to a muscle injury, while Kevin Bonifazi is unlikely to be passed fit due to a tendon issue.

Motta may look to select the same starting XI which dispatched Sassuolo 3-0 in their final match prior to the World Cup, with former Inter forward Marko Arnautovic hoping to get one over on his former manager in the opposite dugout.