Former Sunderland midfielder Jack Rodwell set for shock switch to injury-hit Italian giants

Rodwell has been without a club since his deal at Championship side Blackburn Rovers came to end in the summer.

Roma are in the midst of a severe injury crisis, with midfielders Bryan Cristante, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Amadou Diawara all out for an extended period.

That has forced them to turn to the free agent market, with reports in Italy saying that Rodwell will arrive in the capital for extensive medical tests in the next 48 hours.

Rodwell played 21 times for Tony Mowbray’s side last season, often appearing at centre-back.

He left Sunderland after making just two appearances in the season that saw the club ultimately suffer consecutive relegations.

A raft of injury issues blighted his time on Wearside, the 28-year-old making 67 apperances in four seasons.

His time at the club ended in significant controversy, the midfielder training with the U23 side for much of Chris Coleman’s tenure.

He left the club in late June 2018 after reaching an agreement with the Black Cats, with Stewart Donald praising his ‘sensible’ approach to talks.

His spell at Ewood Park was a relative success, and Mowbray had been open to the idea of him returning to the club.

Rodwell decided to keep his options open and could now land a move to one of the biggest clubs in Europe.

Roma currently sit 6th in the Serie A table after eight games, and are top of their Europa League pool after a 1-1 draw with Borussia Monchengladbach on Thursday night.