Five Things We Learned: Dzeko stars but night defined by injury news

Edin Dzeko scored twice as Radja Nainggolan sealed the come-from-behind victory with just over ten minutes remaining - but events after the goals threatened to dominate the post-match discussion, as Antonio Rudiger returned from a long-term injury absence just moments before Alessandro Florenzi suffered a serious injury.

Read about the key talking points from the contest below.

Stirring comeback at the Mapei fortress

Luciano Spalletti's ability to motivate his troops to fight back from losing positions has been a vital feature of his reign since he took over for the second time in January. Against Sassuolo at the Mapei Stadium, where the Neroverdi are always so difficult to beat, this was no different, as Spalletti used his powers of motivation masterfully at half-time to ensure his side came out after the break and obtained all three points.

With four wins on the bounce and their frontline firing, Roma are now deservedly the sole occupants of second on the table.

“We didn't play well in the first half,” Edin Dzeko acknowledged, perhaps hinting at what Spalletti had said for himself. “They were more aggressive than us and that made things difficult. We played with more character after the break and there was only one team in it.”

Florenzi’s injury a devastating misfortune

Despite the fantastic result, the injury to Alessandro Florenzi, who's been enjoying a real purple patch of form, was an undeniable disappointment. The versatile Italian international's hardly put a foot wrong in recent weeks, in what was arguably the finest run of form he's been on in his Roma career.

With the injury later being confirmed as a ruptured cruciate ligament, this will represent a lengthy stint on the sidelines for the inspirational, and versatile, Italy international.

"He was squeezing my hand he was in so much pain," Spalletti recalled. "We all feel really sorry for him.

"When something like this happens it takes away all the joy from winning the game. It's not what we needed after a good match.”

Florenzi will undergo surgery imminently, and everyone will be hoping he makes a full and swift recovery.

On a more positive note, Rudiger makes his return

It was terrific to see Antonio Rudiger make his long awaited return from his debilitating ACL injury against Eusebio Di Francesco's men. Coming on in the 78th minute, he even made some crucial contributions to remind everyone of his quality. In a rather cruel twist of fate for Roma, Florenzi suffered his knee injury barely three minutes after Rudiger’s introduction.

It was particularly interesting to hear Spalletti hint that the towering German might be set for a run in the left-back spot in his post-match comments, as Florenzi’s absence leaves the coach further scrambling to fill his full-back positions.

"Rudiger can do a job there. He's got the strength and pace to go for the high balls and cover," he mused.

Having just returned to first-team action, Rudiger could be elevated to a starting role sooner than even he will have anticipated.

Prolific Dzeko the saviour

Edin Dzeko continued his rich vein of form in emphatic fashion against Sassuolo, in a match where be bagged a brace to take his league tally to 10. The Bosnian forward's latest strikes now propel him beyond Edinson Cavani as the highest scorer within Europe's top five leagues.

Although Dzeko's been a previous source of frustration for Spalletti, he's now handsomely repaying his manager for never giving up on him.

"Edin can make you a bit angry at times but then at other times you just have to get up off your feet and applaud him,” Spalletti reflected. “He does things using a combination of strength, skill, flair, technique and touch.”

Emerson Palmieri settles in after second start

Starting his second consecutive match, Emerson Palmieri put in another performance full of promise. Following on encouragingly from his tidy showing against Palermo, where he won a game high nine duels, he defended with dedication and attacked with vigour.

Indeed, the way the dynamic Brazilian contributed so immensely on both sides of the ball would've pleased his manager no end.

The fact he created a whopping four chances, completed almost 90% of his passes and chimed in with a remarkable 19 defensive actions suitably illustrated his strong body of work. Given the injury issues elsewhere, if Emerson were to find a level of comfort and consistency on both flanks his versatility would become a huge assist to the boss.