Bellanova praises Wesley ahead of Atalanta–Roma clash

Napoli host Roma in a big Serie A Matchday 8 fixture, with the match available free on DAZN. Napoli, coached by Allegri, are reeling after a heavy defeat at Venezia, although they have shown signs of recovery following their Champions League win over Bodø/Glimt. They now sit ninth in the table and cannot afford further slips. Roma, under Gasperini, bounced back well from a bitter defeat to Real Madrid, comfortably beating Genoa in Serie A and Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League. The Giallorossi are keeping pace with Inter, who currently top the table on goal difference... on two points, and they are level at the summit with Lazio, whose start has surprised many, with the Rome rivals sharing top spot with Chivu's side. The article also covers the probable line-ups and the current Serie A standings ahead of kickoff.

Ticket sales have opened for the away sector at the Stadio Armando Maradona for Napoli's match against Roma, which is scheduled for Saturday 24 October at 18:00. An absolute ban on ticket sales for residents of the Lazio region has been imposed for the fixture, covering all sectors of the stadium. The ban also extends to the away section, which will be accessible exclusively to holders of the AS Roma Fidelity Card (Tessera del Tifoso) who do not live in the Lazio region. The restriction is a key point for Roma supporters planning to travel to Naples, as it applies to the whole stadium and not just the away end. Tickets can be bought online through the ticketing platform www.ticketone.com, at a cost of 45 euros.

Napoli-Roma, scheduled for 24 October at 18:00, will be broadcast free of charge on DAZN, allowing fans without an active subscription to watch the big match. The game at the Maradona is one of the fixtures the platform has chosen to make freely available, as it has done in previous seasons for selected matches. The clash is among the most anticipated Serie A fixtures of the weekend, and the free broadcast will give a wider audience the chance to follow it. Roma and Napoli supporters can watch the match without signing up to a subscription, using the access method DAZN has set out for the free live stream. The free broadcast follows the same approach DAZN has taken with selected games in past seasons. The platform has opened up the Maradona fixture to viewers who do not hold an active subscription, and fans should follow the instructions DAZN provides for accessing the live stream.

Former Roma midfielder Angelo Di Livio, speaking to Retesport, said he likes the idea of playing Wesley further forward against Napoli, with Molina dropping deeper on the same flank. Di Livio believes Gasperini will be missing two important players, including Dybala, and he questioned Lorenzo Pellegrini's latest injury, asking what fault the player had for having to stop again. Di Livio said Cristante is not well and does not think he can start. He expects Gasperini to have prepared alternative plans in midfield to cover the absences. The attacking absences of Pellegrini and Dybala in the final third are what make the idea of Wesley further up the pitch appealing to him. Di Livio expects Evan Lulli...

Lorenzo Pellegrini faces a spell on the sidelines after scans revealed a high-grade tear to the distal muscle-tendon junction of the semitendinosus in his right thigh, the injury he suffered in Roma's match against Slovan Bratislava. The diagnosis is considerably more serious than the initial feeling after the game, when Gian Piero Gasperini had suggested a layoff of around twenty days. It is still too early to name a precise return date, which will depend on the actual extent of the tear, whether the tendon is involved and, above all, how the player responds to rehabilitation. However, given the high-grade classification, a cautious estimate points to a absence of 6-10 weeks. In calendar terms, Pellegrini would not only miss the November international break; a possible return could come between early and mid-December. Roma will only be able to set more precise timings once the clinical picture develops. If the tendon is particularly badly affected, recovery could take even longer. The blow is particularly heavy for Gasperini given the state of the attack. Paulo Dybala is already sidelined, and after the win over Slovan the coach had sounded the alarm: "If we don't recover Dybala quickly, we will really be few in number." Pellegrini's injury makes Roma's numerical problem in the attacking midfield even more evident. Gasperini will rely mainly on Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora, possibly using Donyell Malen and Santiago Castro together, or alternative solutions such as moving Wesley forward. Roma lose one of the players the coach was using most in his offensive rotations at the most demanding point of the calendar.

Roma's injury crisis deepened as Lorenzo Pellegrini was lost against Slovan Bratislava, adding to a growing list of absentees ahead of the trip to Napoli. Gasperini is working through his options for the Maradona fixture, with Malen and Soulé almost certain to start, but the final place in the attacking midfield remains open. The Pellegrini injury is already the seventh muscular injury of the season, on top of a bone-related problem suffered by Svilar. Dybala and Koné are also on the treatment list. Rodrigo Mora has not convinced, particularly in terms of attitude, in the recent games against Genoa and Slovan Bratislava, which has opened the door for Bryan Cristante, who has just returned from a knee problem. Cristante has not played since 19 September against Inter, just over a month ago, and his availability will be decisive. If he is not fit to start, Mora would almost certainly be given the nod from the first minute, as the pairing of Castro and Malen is not part of Gasperini's plans for a game of this importance. Gasperini has emergency alternatives. He could push Mancini or Hermoso into midfield, or use Wesley as an attacking winger, a solution already seen during a match last season, with Lulli and Molina then occupying the flanks. Napoli, who appear to have found a new balance in recent outings with De Bruyne dropping into the holding role, are just two days away from the clash at the Maradona, and Gasperini still has plenty of selection questions to resolve.