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In previous seasons—and let's be honest, decades—losing Francesco Totti for an extended period of time would have been a death knell for whatever goals Roma had that particular season. While we haven't had to face this nightmare too many times in Totti's career, our beloved captain has been sidelined for six weeks now. In the years gone by, Totti's absence may have sent Roma careening down the table, but not anymore. Thanks in part to some spectacular play from the likes of Gervinho, Mohamed Salah and Miralem Pjanic, not only has Roma weathered the storm, they've thrived, winning 70% of their matches (all comps) since Totti went down against Carpi in late September.
But, and this is a big one, this is still Francesco Totti we're talking about here, so it's not as if Roma are better off without their captain, no matter what role he'll assume once he's deemed fit for service.
So, it is in that vein that we bring some (belated) good news, Totti's impending(ish) return. While the club remains tightlipped about any Totti timeline, they did put out an ever-so-brief press release yesterday regarding his ongoing recovery from the thigh injury that he sustained against Carpi
Francesco Totti continues to make positive progress as he recovers from the right thigh injury he sustained during Roma v Carpi on September 26, when he was forced off just eight minutes after coming on as a substitute.
The Giallorossi No. 10, who has so far made three appearances for the club this season, all of them in Serie A, underwent a series of routine tests today which revealed an improvement in his condition.
Totti, who recently scored his milestone 300th goal for Roma, will now continue his personalized recovery program of physiotherapy and gym work before returning to outside training in the coming days.
Source: AS Roma
So, in a week without actual events, this is as good as the news gets. While it remains to be seen where Totti will slot into Roma's resurgent starting XI once he's back, it's certainly a good problem to have.