Worry for Eric Chelle? Injury blow for Super Eagles star as Roma edge Lazio in fiery derby

The Super Eagles head coach is already without Ola Aina for the crucial games against Lesotho and Benin Republic next month and he will hope no other key player is added to the injury list 

Fisayo Dele-Bashiru’s promising start to life in Serie A hit a bump on Sunday after the Nigerian midfielder limped out of Lazio’s defeat to Roma in the Derby della Capitale, Soccernet.ng reports.

The 24-year-old, who had started all four of Lazio’s league matches this season, lasted just 13 minutes before crumbling on the pitch and signalling to the bench.

Maurizio Sarri sent on Reda Belahyane, but the early change unsettled his midfield even before Nicolò Rovella also hobbled off later in the half.

Roma took full advantage. Lorenzo Pellegrini drilled home in the 38th minute after Nuno Tavares carelessly surrendered possession on the edge of his own box. The goal, Pellegrini’s fourth in Rome derbies, was enough to send Daniele De Rossi’s side into the top four with nine points from four games.

Lazio created chances through Boulaye Dia, Mattia Zaccagni and Alessio Romagnoli, but their finishing was wasteful. In the closing stages, their discipline collapsed as Belahyane was dismissed for a reckless studs-up lunge and Matteo Guendouzi followed with a red card for dissent after the final whistle.

Sarri, visibly frustrated, admitted the injuries and suspensions leave his squad stretched thin ahead of next Monday’s trip to Genoa.

Sarri said: “The repercussions are material, not mental. On Sunday against Genoa, we only have one midfielder available [Cataldi]. Losing a derby hurts me. You turn around and glance at the stands, the Curva, and you realize you’ve let the fans down. I hope it hurts the players too.”

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The coach hinted at reinstating Croatian midfielder Toma Basic into the squad list to cover the crisis.

“We’ll see which midfielders we’ll have available this week. Basic? It’s definitely possible. I think we have two available slots. It’s a possibility worth considering,” Sarri added.

Despite the chaos, Sarri insisted his side did not deserve to lose.

“We had four or five clear chances, we could have taken the lead in the first half. We lost the game because of a bad error… I think we deserved to draw.”

Roma, meanwhile, march on unbeaten and have now gone four games without losing to their neighbours.

More worries for Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle?

For Nigeria, Dele-Bashiru's injury is equally concerning.

Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle had been impressed with Dele-Bashiru’s performances in the last international window, where the midfielder set up Calvin Bassey’s equaliser in the 1-1 draw with South Africa. Chelle will be hoping for a swift recovery ahead of October’s crucial World Cup qualifiers against Benin Republic and Lesotho.

The Mali tactician is already weighed down by the unavailability of Nottingham Forest defender Ola Aina, who needed surgery on an injury suffered against Rwanda.

Nigeria’s first-choice right-back, Aina will not return to the pitch until December, making him a doubt even for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.