‘extraordinary’ Dzeko
Dzeko will be hoping to emulate last season’s success in the competition when Roma reached the semi-finals only to lose 7-6 on aggregate to Liverpool.
He does, however, have just two goals to his name in Serie A this season, with Roma languishing in a disappointing seventh place.
Meanwhile, more than 20 people, mainly Russian football fans, were injured on Tuesday when an escalator in a metro station in central Rome collapsed, firefighters said.
Most of those hurt, one seriously, suffered leg injuries after getting entangled in the escalator’s mangled mechanics, Italian media added.
A video of the drama shows the descending escalator at Repubblica station suddenly and dramatically pick up speed with dozens of people on it, many screaming as they piled on top of one another at the foot of the moving stairway.
Media reports said witnesses spoke of football fans, seemingly drunk, jumping and dancing on the escalator just before its collapse, but supporters denied this ever happened.
“In any event, we are here to understand what happened and to offer our support to the wounded and their families,” Rome mayor Virginia Raggi told journalists at the scene.
Several investigations have been opened, and the metro station near Rome’s Termini train station was closed. The horrific events took place just over an hour before the match between Roma and CSKA.
The Russian fans were headed for the metro that would have linked them to the train to the stadium.
Roma tweeted after the match: “The thoughts of everyone at #ASRoma are with the supporters injured prior to tonight’s game. The club will do everything it can to provide the right support and assistance to those in need.”