Cristante struggle to be fit for Como and Real Madrid battles, happy to see Mourinho

Cristante struggle to be fit for Como and Real Madrid battles, happy to see Mourinho Bryan Cristante warns he will probably not recover in time for the big Roma games against Como and Real Madrid, but ‘it will be good to see Jose Mourinho again.’ The midfielder was forced to withdraw from the Italy squad in the Nations League due to a knee injury , and it proved to be a particularly serious one. He spoke to reporters including La Gazzetta dello Sport at a sponsorship event and confessed the healing process is going to take a while. Cristante on Roma treatment table NEWPORT, WALES – AUGUST 04: Bryan Cristante of AS Roma is challenged by Ciaran Brennan of Newport County during the pre-season friendly match between Newport County and AS Roma at Rodney Parade on August 04, 2026 in Newport, Wales. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images) “I had this knee problem and will try to be back as soon as possible, but it’s unlikely that I will be there for the next couple of games,” he said. Roma are joint top of the Serie A table with Inter and Lazio, with Como trailing just behind, so the upcoming showdown with Cesc Fabregas is going to be crucial. “Consistency is going to be fundamental, we had a great season and all want to repeat ourselves. We started this term from a more solid foundation, we are consolidated now, so clearly everyone wanted to stay and keep building. “These are two big games, Como are a direct rival for position, while Real Madrid are always Real Madrid.” BOLOGNA, ITALY – MARCH 12: Bryan Cristante of AS Roma gestures during the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 Round of 16 First Leg match between Bologna FC 1909 and AS Roma at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara on March 12, 2026 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images) Their coach is Mourinho, who will forever be loved by Roma fans for the Conference League victory, even if the rapport came to an abrupt end. “It will be good to see Mourinho again. We had some wonderful moments together and it will be a great pleasure. Mourinho knows how to win and he wins wherever he goes. He brought a winning mentality to Roma.” TIRANA, ALBANIA – MAY 25: Jose Mourinho, Head Coach of AS Roma celebrates with the UEFA Europa Conference League Trophy after their sides victory in the UEFA Conference League final match between AS Roma and Feyenoord at Arena Kombetare on May 25, 2022 in Tirana, Albania. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images) Cristante had already worked with Gian Piero Gasperini at the start of his career at Atalanta. “He hasn’t changed at all, and that is his greatest strength, that he has this identity. He has given us something extra, though admittedly it’s a different experience doing his training sessions when I’m 31 compared to 21 years old.”