MADRID, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Athletic Club Bilbao's Europa League hopes got a boost when attacking midfielder Oihan Sancet was included in coach Ernesto Valverde's 24-man squad for the first leg of the club's difficult last-16 tie in Roma's Olympic Stadium.

Athletic's top scorer this season, and the La Liga player of the month for February, missed out on the narrow 1-0 defeat away to Atletico Madrid on Saturday with a 'moderate' hamstring injury, but was able to train with his team-mates on Tuesday and was subsequently included in the traveling squad.

Sancet has scored 13 goals in La Liga and one in the Europa League this season, despite an ankle problem ruling him out for a month at the start of the year, causing him to miss the Spanish Supercup.

He is also vital in helping his teammates progress from defense to attack, offering pace and power in central midfield and the ability to turn his marker and create space.

Athletic and Roma have already met in the Olympic Stadium in Rome once this season, drawing 1-1 in the opening game of the Europa League, with former Girona striker Artem Dovbyk putting the Italian side ahead in the 37th minute, before Aitor Paredes leveled for Athletic five minutes from time.

Athletic went on to finish second in the Europa League qualifying group, with six wins and a defeat to Besiktas in its subsequent matches, while Roma finished 15th and needed a play-off against Porto to reach the last-16.

However, the Italians have improved drastically since the return of veteran coach Claudio Ranieri to the dugout in November last year, with 14 wins and just five defeats in the 26 matches since the 73-year-old's return. Enditem

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