Mattia Destro Banned for Punching Davide Astori During Cagliari vs. Roma
Mattia Destro has been handed a three-match ban after punching Davide Astori during Roma's recent win over Cagliari.
The Italian international, who netted a hat-trick during the capital-based side's 3-1 away win, wasn't cautioned when the first-half incident took place. He was later booked for another foul, meaning he faces a four-match ban after accumulating too many cautions, as reported by the Associated Press (via Yahoo News).
Destro's suspension may hold further consequences, per the aforementioned report:
"The ban could also affect Destro's selection chances for Italy's World Cup squad, due to national team coach Cesare Prandelli's code of ethics," reads the article.
As noted by BT Sport contributor James Horncastle, Mehdi Benatia's recent injury ensures the problems are quickly mounting for the Serie A title outsiders:
Roma are currently eight points behind leaders Juventus with six games remaining. Considering Destro will be unavailable until the final two fixtures, Rudi Garcia's team finally look to have run out of steam.
Key players continue to drop, following on from Kevin Strootman's season-ending injury back in March, reported by Reuters (via The Guardian).
Destro has netted 13 goals in 18 Serie A appearances this campaign, per WhoScored.com. The 23-year-old's goal tally nearly doubles the seven scored by Gervinho and Francesco Totti, who possess the next highest number after the banned striker.
Vitally, Destro's first match back will be the May 9 clash with Juve. He misses ties against Atalanta (H), Fiorentina (A), AC Milan (H) and Catania (A), the first three of which are destined to prove tricky.
The important striker is not someone who has had it easy at Roma. He "packed on a few pounds" during spells of injury, as noted by Paolo Baldini of The Guardian, and he has been forced to wait for his opportunities to impress.
While always considered an outside bet for the summer's World Cup, Destro is likely to have ended any hopes of Cesare Prandelli giving him a chance at the summer showpiece. Baldini elaborates:
"Prandelli has been clear up to now about the national team's code of conduct, excluding far more established players than Destro when their behaviour on the pitch falls below his expectations. After recovering from both injury and mockery to take Serie A by storm, it would be a shame for Destro to let petulance get in the way of even greater goals.
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It seems a trip to Brazil is looking unlikely for Destro. His absence is sure to impact Roma's season in a noticeable manner and may provide Juventus with the gusto to tie up the title.
One moment of petulance can overrule a fruitful season in football, a harsh lesson Destro will need to quickly learn.
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