Baldini hails quality of young Italy squad as Pisilli prepares for Champions League step

Paulo Dybala continued training individually at Trigoria on Wednesday, without rejoining the rest of the squad, a fresh sign that the Argentine is struggling to complete his recovery from the muscle injury he picked up against Real Madrid. Dybala is now all but certain to miss Saturday's trip to Udinese, which kicks off at 18:00, barring a surprise. Coach Gian Piero Gasperini had already voiced serious doubts after the win over Cagliari, explaining that the forward's recovery time had stretched beyond initial expectations. It remains to be determined whether Dybala can be available for the Champions League trip to Manchester United on 3 November. Sassuolo, on 7 November, remains the possible target the coach has indicated for his return. In a further update from Trigoria, Gasperini will not hold his usual press conference on the eve of the match. Tomorrow, Friday 30 October, the Giallorossi boss will not meet journalists before the Saturday fixture in Friuli, at a particularly intense point in the season, with Roma also facing the European commitment against Manchester United. The report was published by Giallorossi.net.

Roma have begun preparing for their away trip to Udinese on Saturday 31 October, with kickoff at 18:00, when the giallorossi face Kosta Runjaić's side. Paulo Dybala did not train with the rest of the squad at Trigoria this afternoon, instead completing individual work to manage his recovery from injury, with the aim of being available for the Champions League match against Manchester United. Manu Koné is also working on the pitch as he targets the match against Sassuolo, the last fixture before the international break. Coach Gian Piero Gasperini has decided not to take questions from journalists at the eve-of-match press conference, choosing to focus entirely on preparing for the fixture given how closely the matches are scheduled. The Udinese game comes as Roma continue their Champions League campaign for 2026-27, with the Manchester United fixture next on the agenda. Dybala's fitness will be closely watched as the club balances a congested schedule with the demands of recovery.

Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini lost his temper during the first half of the win over Cagliari, throwing his jacket to the ground after an error by Gianluca Mancini. With the score at 2-1, Mancini failed to delay and was beaten by the pace of Fadera, which gave Cagliari a chance they then wasted. The reaction recalled similar scenes from Massimiliano Allegri, though the gesture was instinctive and showed a coach who does not accept drops in intensity and demands the maximum from his players. The anger soon subsided, but the suffering lasted until the final whistle, as the result at one stage risked slipping away. Fatigue and injuries have shortened the rotations, and Gasperini still expects more from those on the pitch. Mistakes are part of the game, he is said to believe, but they cannot become a habit. The victory brought the smile back to the coach's face after a difficult spell, and it was built on the attention to detail that he has made central to his work at the club in the capital. In the end, the substitutions settled the match, with Rodrigo Mora and Donyell Malen both proving decisive. Gasperini's changes were, once again, the winning move. Under the Piedmontese coach, Roma are building a period of continuity that the capital has lacked for some time, even without trophies so far.

Hermoso has played the most minutes of any Roma player this season, with 812 minutes on the pitch across the first twelve matches in Serie A and the Champions League. Wesley follows closely on 806 minutes, having just been called up by the Brazilian national team, and Gianluca Mancini has logged 798 minutes. Il Tempo reports that the figures show Gian Piero Gasperini is rotating his squad rather than relying on fixed starters. The rotation has become necessary because of a demanding run of nine matches in 27 days, which ends with games against Udinese, Manchester United and Sassuolo. Mancini has shown some signs of fatigue in recent outings, which has given Gasperini the chance to turn to fresher options such as Ghilardi, Koulierakis and Balerdi. On the flanks, Molina, Lulli and Rensch take turns, while Ndicka remains a reliable presence in defence with 727 minutes played. In midfield, Cristante and Koné have been used consistently, alongside Pisilli and De Roon. In attack, Soulé (770 minutes) and Malen (752 minutes) have been the most used forwards. Dybala, who is currently sidelined, is next on the list, followed by younger players Mora and Castro, who continue to earn valuable spells within the season's rotations.

Roma have returned to training ahead of a crowded run of fixtures, with Koné now fully recovered from his injury and aiming to return against Sassuolo. The squad travels to Friuli today for Sunday's Serie A match against Udinese, before moving on to Manchester on Monday on the eve of the Champions League clash with United, and the club are facing both games with a depleted list of players. Mile Svilar's medical tests confirmed that his return has been pushed back until after the international break. Paulo Dybala gave no cause for optimism after yesterday's session, as the Argentine forward trained on a personalised programme because he is still feeling discomfort in his calf. His availability for the trip to England is therefore very uncertain. Koné, by contrast, is over his injury and has started working apart from the group on the pitch. The French midfielder, like Dybala, is determined to be back in action for the league meeting with Sassuolo. For the trip to Udine, head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who has chosen not to hold his usual pre-match press conference, is weighing up solutions and changes in defence, where Hermoso and Balerdi have shaken off their respective knocks. In midfield, De Roon is the favourite to play alongside the pairing of Cristante and Pisilli, while up front Malen is set to return from the start alongside Soulé.

Gian Piero Gasperini is preparing significant changes for tomorrow's trip to Udinese, with Donyell Malen returning to the starting XI. Malen's last visit to Udine was his worst performance in a Roma shirt, though he did find the net that day, sadly the wrong one: his deflection was the decisive touch on Ekkelenkamp's free kick. Behind him, Rodrigo Mora and Matías Soulé are set to play. Marten de Roon, who needs a rest after six matches in twenty days, drops out, along with the other three midfielders who were in the previous selection. Bryan Cristante and Niccolò Pisilli will form the central midfield pairing. Roma face two games in four days, with the squad still stretched by injuries and absences. Wesley will start on the left in both fixtures. On the right, Nahuel Molina, Emanuele Lulli and Devyne Rensch are in contention, with Rensch surprisingly named in the starting line-up in Istanbul and Naples. Rotation is also on the cards at the back, the department with the most players available. Leonardo Balerdi has put behind him a tough setback and will start. Mario Hermoso has recovered after not being at his best and is also available. Gianluca Mancini is likely to miss out, having run low on energy and been among the weakest performers of the season so far, with some physical complaints picked up on international duty that have never fully cleared. Daniele Aloisi, writing in Il Messaggero, reports that Daniele Ghilardi is looking for minutes and consistency and could take Mancini's place. Evan N'Dicka is the defender in the best form, and Gasperini does not want to do without him. If N'Dicka plays, Balerdi will operate on the left of the centre-back pairing. If N'Dicka rests, Balerdi will move into the middle with Hermoso alongside him. Gasperini will settle those doubts in the coming hours. Roma's focus then turns to Old Trafford, where the hope is that, for once, the 'theatre of dreams' does not turn back into a nightmare.