Fisayo Dele-Bashiru’s promising Serie A journey suffered a setback on Sunday as the Nigerian midfielder was forced off during Lazio’s loss to Roma in the intense Derby della Capitale, according to Soccernet.ng.
The 24-year-old, who had been a consistent starter in all four of Lazio’s league fixtures this season, was substituted after just 13 minutes due to injury, signaling distress to the bench.
Manager Maurizio Sarri introduced Reda Belahyane early, but this disruption unsettled Lazio’s midfield dynamics, compounded further when Nicolò Rovella also exited with an injury later in the first half.
Roma capitalized on the disruption. In the 38th minute, Lorenzo Pellegrini netted after Nuno Tavares carelessly lost possession near his own penalty area. This marked Pellegrini’s fourth goal in Rome derbies, propelling Daniele De Rossi’s squad into the top four with nine points from four matches.
Despite creating opportunities through Boulaye Dia, Mattia Zaccagni, and Alessio Romagnoli, Lazio’s finishing lacked precision. The match’s final moments saw their composure break down as Belahyane received a red card for a dangerous studs-up tackle, followed by Matteo Guendouzi’s dismissal for dissent after the whistle.
Sarri, clearly exasperated, acknowledged that injuries and suspensions have left his squad severely depleted ahead of their upcoming Monday clash with Genoa.
Sarri commented, “The impact is physical, not psychological. For the game against Genoa, we have only one midfielder available [Cataldi]. Losing a derby is painful. When you look around the stadium, at the Curva, you realize you’ve disappointed the fans. I hope the players feel that pain as well.”
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The coach also hinted at the possibility of recalling Croatian midfielder Toma Basic to bolster the midfield amid the crisis.
“We’ll assess which midfielders are fit this week. Basic? That’s certainly an option. I believe we have two spots available. It’s something we’re considering,” Sarri revealed.
Despite the setbacks, Sarri maintained that his team’s performance warranted at least a draw.
“We had four or five clear opportunities and could have taken the lead in the first half. The defeat came down to a costly mistake… I believe we deserved to share the points.”
Meanwhile, Roma continue their unbeaten run, extending their streak to four matches without defeat against their city rivals.
From Nigeria’s perspective, Dele-Bashiru’s injury raises concerns.
Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle had praised Dele-Bashiru’s recent international displays, notably his assist for Calvin Bassey’s equalizer in the 1-1 draw with South Africa. Chelle will be hoping for a quick recovery as Nigeria prepares for vital World Cup qualifiers in October against Benin Republic and Lesotho.
The Malian coach is already grappling with the absence of Nottingham Forest defender Ola Aina, sidelined by surgery following an injury sustained against Rwanda.
As Nigeria’s preferred right-back, Aina’s recovery timeline extends to December, casting doubt over his availability for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
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