With Roma travelling to Ukraine to face Zorya Luhansk in the Europa Conference League on Thursday (kick-off: 18:45 CEST), we have all the pre-match preamble you need.

ZORYA LUHANSK

League position: 4th
Head coach: Viktor Skrypnyk
Top-scorer: Vladyslav Kochergin (5)

RECENT FORM

Zorya: W D L W W
Roma: W W L W L

A 4-0 win at the weekend was just the preparation that Ukranian hosts Zorya would have hoped for as three late goals gave them a resounding victory that took them into fourth-place.

It follows the previous weekend’s 3-0 league victory over Chornomorets, rounding off a highly productive fortnight for Skrypnyk’s side since their 3-1 defeat to FK Bodø/Glimt in their Group C opener.

As for Roma, Derby della Capitale defeat is never easy to swallow but that was just the second loss of the season for Jose Mourinho’s side.

They will have captain Lorenzo Pellegrini back at their disposal following suspension last time out, while Mourinho is likely to make use of his full squad and could hand starts to the likes of Amadou Diawara, Chris Smalling, and Eldor Shomurodov.

Possible Zorya Luhansk line-up

(4-1-4-1)

Matsapura; Favorov, Cvek, Vernydub, Khomchenovskyi; Nazaryna; Kochergin, Buletsa, Kabaev, Gromov; Sayyadmanesh

DANGER MAN
Vladyslav Kochergin

Kochergin struck a late brace in Sunday’s victory over Dnipro, taking his tally to five goals and two assists from nine league outings this term.

It’s an impressive return from the 25-year-old and he is already just one top flight goal away from equalling the best goalscoring campaign of his career.

Having made his Ukraine debut earlier this month, Kochergin’s stock is rising each week.

He will be stationed from the right of Zorya’s midfield and will be hoping to transfer his domestic form into European competition.

MATCH STATS

This will be the very first meeting in history between Zorya Luhansk and Roma in a European competition and this is Zorya's debut against any Italian club.

Against Ukranian opposition, Roma have only won two of their six away games, but the Giallorossi have lost just two of their last 10 away games in Europe (W7, D1) and have scored two goals in each of their last five.

Roma have found the back of the net in each of their last 15 European games, which is their longest ever such streak in continental competition.

Their 5-1 victory over CSKA Sofia last time out in Group C means that Roma are the highest group stage scorers in the tournament after one round of fixtures.

PLAYER STATS

• Zorya full-back Dmytro Khomchenovskyi made seven interceptions on Matchday 1 of the group stage, a number no player could better across the entire first round of fixtures.
  
• Shomurodov has the most assists of any player in the Europa Conference League group stage after week one, having teed up two of Roma's five goals in the win over CSKA Sofia.
  
• The Uzbekistan striker also registered four shots of his own in that Group C victory at the Olimpico on MD1, a number only matched by teammate Stephan El Shaarawy.
  
• Pellegrini has been involved in more Roma goals than any other player so far this season (eight; six goals, two assists) and half of those have come in the UECL (three goals, one assist).

WHAT THEY SAID

"We are very pleased with this victory, such a comprehensive one, with a good result and leaving without conceding a goal. Dnipro are a good rival, so such a game will only give us more confidence and improve our position in the standings."

- Zorya coach Viktor Skrypnyk after the win over Dnipro