Ancelotti backs Wesley for Panama friendly as Brazil prepare for World Cup

Roma have welcomed defender Konstantinos Koulierakis to their pre-season training camp in Wales following a friendly defeat to Cardiff City. The Greek centre-back has arrived at the club's ritiro and featured in early photographs from his first day in the capital. The addition comes as Roma continue their summer preparation under head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. Koulierakis expressed his enthusiasm for the project, saying: "I can't wait to work with Gasp." The defender is now integrated into the squad as the club builds towards the 2026–27 season. The Welsh camp forms part of Roma's broader pre-season schedule as Gasperini shapes his team ahead of the domestic campaign.

Koulierakis trained with Roma for the first time on 2 August after arriving at Vale Resort, declaring himself eager to contribute to the club. "I am truly very happy to be here. The welcome has been fantastic," the Greek defender said. "When my agent told me Roma was interested, I responded immediately: 'Yes, let's go'. I want to do my best to become part of this great Italian club. I had no doubt whatsoever." Wesley suffered a right ankle sprain on Saturday during Perry Ng's penalty-kick incident and attempted to train but signalled to Gasperini he was unable to continue. No alarm is warranted, though he is expected to sit out Tuesday's match against Newport to avoid reinjury. Pisilli remains sidelined with a calf problem sustained ten days earlier. El Aynaoui has a minor left knee discomfort but nothing troubling. Bah will undergo an MRI scan on 3 August to assess the extent of his right knee injury. In the transfer market, Roma continues to push for Read. The Dutch winger played the full 90 minutes in a friendly against Atalanta on 2 August but remains committed to joining Roma. His club has rejected an opening bid of €23 million plus €2 million in bonuses, demanding €30 million instead. 3 August could prove decisive in reaching agreement. Roma is also pursuing Cacciamani at Torino and exploring attacking options—Nusa is preferred but his cost complicates matters, while Endrick is also under consideration. Koné has drawn interest from Manchester United, though Arsenal has dropped out of the race. Kumbulla is heading to Rayo Vallecano.

Konstantinos Koulierakis has completed his first training session with Roma in Cardiff, declaring his excitement at the prospect of playing at the Olimpico. The Greek defender spoke to the club after arriving, saying he accepted Roma's offer immediately because of their status as a "great club". He praised head coach Gian Piero Gasperini as "one of the best coaches in Italy" and revealed he draws inspiration from Sergio Ramos and Aymeric Laporte, citing his left foot and mentality as key strengths. Koulierakis also spoke with Kostas Manolas before the transfer, who briefed him on the club and its atmosphere: "He spoke to me about Roma and it was very important for me. I can't wait to play at the Olimpico: I've watched many videos and I know the atmosphere will be incredible." Roma continue to pursue Givairo Read from Feyenoord, who views the Giallorossi as his ideal destination. The clubs are negotiating fee and payment structure, with Roma's offer of €25 million currently falling short of Feyenoord's demand of approximately €30 million. Club sources at Trigoria express confidence the deal will close during the week. Meanwhile, Marash Kumbulla is close to joining Rayo Vallecano on loan, with the Albanian defender set to leave the club after failing to fit Gasperini's plans.

Koulierakis trained with Roma for the first time on 2 August after arriving at Vale Resort, declaring himself eager to contribute to the club. "I am truly very happy to be here. The welcome has been fantastic," the Greek defender said. "When my agent told me Roma was interested, I responded immediately: 'Yes, let's go'. I want to do my best to become part of this great Italian club. I had no doubt whatsoever." Wesley suffered a right ankle sprain on Saturday during Perry Ng's penalty-kick incident and attempted to train but signalled to Gasperini he was unable to continue. No alarm is warranted, though he is expected to sit out Tuesday's match against Newport to avoid reinjury. Pisilli remains sidelined with a calf problem sustained ten days earlier. El Aynaoui has a minor left knee discomfort but nothing troubling. Bah will undergo an MRI scan on 3 August to assess the extent of his right knee injury. In the transfer market, Roma continues to push for Read. The Dutch winger played the full 90 minutes in a friendly against Atalanta on 2 August but remains committed to joining Roma. His club has rejected an opening bid of €23 million plus €2 million in bonuses, demanding €30 million instead. 3 August could prove decisive in reaching agreement. Roma is also pursuing Cacciamani at Torino and exploring attacking options—Nusa is preferred but his cost complicates matters, while Endrick is also under consideration. Koné has drawn interest from Manchester United, though Arsenal has dropped out of the race. Kumbulla is heading to Rayo Vallecano.

Wesley left Roma's training session in Cardiff on 2 August, limping away after suffering discomfort to an ankle that had troubled him the previous day. The Brazilian was unable to continue the session and had to stop early. Roma are preparing for upcoming fixtures while managing an injury concern with one of their attacking options. Wesley joined the club last summer on a five-year contract from Flamengo for €25 million plus €5 million in add-ons. His availability for the next match will be monitored closely as the squad continues pre-season work in Wales. The club also reported on other squad movements during the training camp, with Koulierakis joining the group in Cardiff and fellow players including an unnamed Dutch player recently featuring in a 74-minute appearance against Atalanta following a €28 million bid.

Roma continued their pre-season preparation in Cardiff on 2 August with a training session that was disrupted by fresh injury concerns. Koulierakis arrived at the camp after completing his medical and paperwork in Rome, and took part in the open session alongside new CEO John Galantic and about fifteen travelling supporters. However, Wesley was forced to abandon the session after just minutes when an ankle sprain sustained in the previous day's friendly against Cardiff proved too painful to continue; he left the field visibly limping with significant strapping on his right leg. Jan Ziółkowski briefly caused alarm with a knock to his ankle during the session but recovered to continue without issue. Gasperini's squad is preparing for a Tuesday match against Newport while managing workload rotation through the summer window. Niccolò Pisilli remains unavailable despite being in the group, while defender Bah is awaiting an MRI scan scheduled for 3 August after sustaining a knee sprain in training on 1 August. Neil El Aynaoui, recently returned to training following World Cup duty, completed an extended fitness session around the resort and briefly paused for a minor left-knee discomfort before resuming his run.