ZORYA

League position: 5th
Head coach: Viktor Skrypnyk
Top-scorer: Shahab Zahedi (10)

RECENT FORM

ROMA: W L D L W
ZORYA: W W W W L

The Giallorossi picked up a much needed - and deserved - victory at Genoa on Sunday thanks to the heroics of Felix Afena-Gyan and his late double.

The 18-year-old is unfortunately not registered for the group stage of the Europa Conference League, but Mourinho will surely nevertheless be hoping the momentum created by that cameo will propel the side to a victory that would clinch qualification for the next phase.

Zorya, meanwhile, would move above Roma and into second-place with one game remaining if they pick up all three points on Thursday.

Their preparations weren’t ideal ahead of their trip to the Stadio Olimpico, however, as Zorya lost 2-1 at lowly PFK Lviv at the weekend.

Possible Zorya line-up

(4-3-3)

Matsapura; Favorov, Cvek, Imerekov, Juninho; Buletsa, Khomchenovskyi, Nazaryna; Sayyadmanesh, Gladkyi, Zahedi

DANGER MAN
Shahab Zahedi

Iran international Zahedi tops the club’s scoring charts with 10 goals in 20 appearances in all competitions this season and poses a real threat from either the Zorya left wing or through the middle.

He’s tended to operate from the former for the majority of the campaign but don’t be surprised to see Zahedi play centrally if Skrypnyk opts for a two-man attack.

Zahedi also has four assists to his name already this term, making him Zorya’s most dangerous player in attack.

He has pace, power, is good in the air and boasts a thumping left boot as well.

MATCH STATS

Roma have won all of their last four games in European competition against Ukrainian sides, including a 3-0 win in their first ever meeting with Zorya Luhansk on matchday two earlier this season.

Not only that, the Giallorossi have been victorious in four of their six home games against Ukrainian outfits in Europe and have kept a clean sheet in four of those matches.

Roma’s superb European home record doesn’t stop there; they are unbeaten in 15 home games in European competition and one more without defeat would make it a club record.

Zorya’s only appearance against Italian opposition in their history was the defeat to Roma on Matchday 2.

PLAYER STATS

• Stephan El Shaarawy has scored three goals in four Europa Conference League games, which is more than he’s ever managed in a single season of European competition.
  
• Both of Tammy Abraham's goals in this UECL have come from the bench, with only Harry Kane (three) bagging more goals as a substitute across the entire competition.
  
• Sayyadmanesh is Zorya’s top scorer in the UECL so far this season with two goals.

WHAT THEY SAID

"I will not judge exactly how one result will affect the next. Each game is a new challenge, so we will try to eliminate our mistakes before the next match."

- Zorya coach Skrypnyk after Saturday's defeat to PFK Lviv