Balerdi quickly emerging as a leader under Gasperini at Roma

Former Bologna coach Vincenzo Italiano has praised Roma striker Santiago Castro after his goal against Genoa, calling it "a champion's move". Italiano, now enjoying his experience in Istanbul, spoke to Gianluca Di Marzio on Sky Calcio Unplugged and singled out the Argentine's finish as the highlight of the recent match. Italiano worked with Castro during his time at Bologna, where the two spent two seasons together. The former boss said the forward has a natural flair for the spectacular and that he has seen it on the training ground. The praise comes as Castro's goal put him back at the centre of attention around the club. Italiano said: "Against Genoa he scored a great goal, a move worthy of a champion. Santi has those kinds of moves in him. In training, in those two years at Bologna, he kept inventing moves like an Argentine, a player who inside the box has so often managed to score important goals."

The four Argentines in the Roma squad — Leonardo Balerdi, Santiago Castro, Matías Soulé and Nahuel Molina — were pictured playing cards on the flight that took the team to Udine, where Roma face Runjaic's side tomorrow with a 6pm kick-off. The group played on a personalised table bearing the Argentina national team crest and the shirt numbers of all five of the group's players, including the No. 21 of Paulo Dybala, who will not be available for the match tomorrow either. The photo published by the club has already gone viral on social media. The Argentine contingent at the club has grown considerably in the latest summer transfer window, and the image highlights the close bond within the group as Roma prepare for the trip to the Friuli. The snapshot captures the mix of smiles, concentration and friendly rivalry that marks the group's time together on the road, with the cards game the highlight of the journey.

Gian Piero Gasperini has named a 22-man squad for Roma's trip to Udinese on Saturday 31 October at 18:00 at the Bluenergy Stadium, in Serie A matchday 10. Paulo Dybala will miss the match, as the coach had already indicated, while young players Di Nunzio and Camara are included. The goalkeepers are Vasquez, De Marzi and Gollini. The defenders are Rensch, Koulierakis, Ndicka, Molina, Hermoso, Mancini, Balerdi, Wesley, Lulli and Ghilardi. The midfielders are Cristante, De Roon, Pisilli, Di Nunzio and Mora, and the forwards are Castro, Malen, Soulé and Camara. The kit colours have also been confirmed. Roma will play in their traditional red first shirt, while the goalkeeper will wear yellow. The Giallorossi players on the bench will wear blue bibs. The match in Friuli is Roma's last league fixture before the European trip against Manchester United, scheduled for 3 November. Former Roma and Udinese midfielder Stefano Desideri spoke to Romanews on the eve of the match, analysing Roma's current form and their prospects for the rest of the season. Desideri does not fully share the criticism linked to fatigue after the win over Cagliari. He said: "With all the rotations and the adjustments, Roma have held up more than well," recalling the many closely spaced matches and injuries. He also praised Cristante, whom he considers "more and more of a leader" and a reference point for the younger players, and De Roon, whose impact he described as "impressive". In the table, Desideri places Roma and Inter ahead of their rivals, while acknowledging the surprising results of Lazio and the work of Como, who could remain at a high level until the end. On Udinese, he admits he did not expect such a difficult start: "They must pull themselves out by any means" to avoid getting drawn into the relegation battle. Looking ahead to the winter window, Desideri said he does not expect big deals: "I don't believe much in it." Nonetheless, he feels Gasperini's side could need "another midfielder" and "a winger", provided there are concrete and convenient opportunities. Roma are also weighing possible reinforcements for the winter window. Among the names linked with the club is Lisandro Martínez, the Argentine defender at Manchester United, whose contract expires on 30 June. According to the Spanish newspaper AS, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid have set their sights on the player. In Italy, Inter and Como are reportedly also evaluating the centre-back's profile, alongside Roma, to strengthen their defensive department.

The four Argentines in the Roma squad — Leonardo Balerdi, Santiago Castro, Matías Soulé and Nahuel Molina — were pictured playing cards on the flight that took the team to Udine, where Roma face Runjaic's side tomorrow with a 6pm kick-off. The group played on a personalised table bearing the Argentina national team crest and the shirt numbers of all five of the group's players, including the No. 21 of Paulo Dybala, who will not be available for the match tomorrow either. The photo published by the club has already gone viral on social media. The Argentine contingent at the club has grown considerably in the latest summer transfer window, and the image highlights the close bond within the group as Roma prepare for the trip to the Friuli. The snapshot captures the mix of smiles, concentration and friendly rivalry that marks the group's time together on the road, with the cards game the highlight of the journey.

Gian Piero Gasperini has named a 22-man squad for Roma's trip to Udinese on Saturday 31 October at 18:00 at the Bluenergy Stadium, in Serie A matchday 10. Paulo Dybala will miss the match, as the coach had already indicated, while young players Di Nunzio and Camara are included. The goalkeepers are Vasquez, De Marzi and Gollini. The defenders are Rensch, Koulierakis, Ndicka, Molina, Hermoso, Mancini, Balerdi, Wesley, Lulli and Ghilardi. The midfielders are Cristante, De Roon, Pisilli, Di Nunzio and Mora, and the forwards are Castro, Malen, Soulé and Camara. The kit colours have also been confirmed. Roma will play in their traditional red first shirt, while the goalkeeper will wear yellow. The Giallorossi players on the bench will wear blue bibs. The match in Friuli is Roma's last league fixture before the European trip against Manchester United, scheduled for 3 November. Former Roma and Udinese midfielder Stefano Desideri spoke to Romanews on the eve of the match, analysing Roma's current form and their prospects for the rest of the season. Desideri does not fully share the criticism linked to fatigue after the win over Cagliari. He said: "With all the rotations and the adjustments, Roma have held up more than well," recalling the many closely spaced matches and injuries. He also praised Cristante, whom he considers "more and more of a leader" and a reference point for the younger players, and De Roon, whose impact he described as "impressive". In the table, Desideri places Roma and Inter ahead of their rivals, while acknowledging the surprising results of Lazio and the work of Como, who could remain at a high level until the end. On Udinese, he admits he did not expect such a difficult start: "They must pull themselves out by any means" to avoid getting drawn into the relegation battle. Looking ahead to the winter window, Desideri said he does not expect big deals: "I don't believe much in it." Nonetheless, he feels Gasperini's side could need "another midfielder" and "a winger", provided there are concrete and convenient opportunities. Roma are also weighing possible reinforcements for the winter window. Among the names linked with the club is Lisandro Martínez, the Argentine defender at Manchester United, whose contract expires on 30 June. According to the Spanish newspaper AS, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid have set their sights on the player. In Italy, Inter and Como are reportedly also evaluating the centre-back's profile, alongside Roma, to strengthen their defensive department.

Gian Piero Gasperini has released his squad list for Udinese vs Roma, a Serie A matchday 10 fixture taking place tomorrow at 18:00. Paulo Dybala is ruled out of the trip. The squad is made up of ten defenders: Rensch, Koulierakis, N'Dicka, Molina, Hermoso, Mancini, Balerdi, Wesley, Lulli and Ghilardi. The midfield options are Cristante, De Roon, Pisilli, Di Nunzio and Mora. The attacking group includes Castro, Malen, Soulé and Camara. Di Nunzio and Camara both feature in the travelling party, with Dybala the only notable absence from the list. The matchday 10 trip to Udine comes as Roma look to keep pace in the Serie A table.