Bonetti backs Koné to stay at Roma amid World Cup form

Roma trained on Wednesday afternoon as Gasperini's squad prepared for Sunday's midday kickoff at Como. The coach was reunited with Argentine trio Matías Soulé, Leonardo Balerdi and Santiago Castro, who returned to Italy on Tuesday morning after international duty. The session included running, small-sided matches and drills in rainy conditions as the squad readies itself for a demanding October fixture list starting with the Sinigaglia away trip. Gasperini will hold his pre-match press conference on Thursday, with Real Madrid's visit to the Olimpico following on Wednesday as the next major challenge. Away from the pitch, the Friedkin Group has announced the sale of Everton, a decision that has sparked optimism among sections of Roma's support who have long urged the ownership to concentrate fully on the Serie A club. The move has prompted contrasting reactions, with English Everton supporters responding differently to the announcement.

Roma held a training session at the Fulvio Bernardini centre on the afternoon of 8 October as preparation ramped up ahead of Sunday's Serie A fixture at Como, which kicks off at 12:30. The session, conducted in heavy rain but with a relaxed atmosphere mixing athletic work, running and tactical drills, saw the final reunion of the South American contingent with the rest of the squad. Matías Soulé, Leonardo Balerdi and Santiago Castro, who returned to Italy on the morning of 8 October, completed the entire session and put themselves at the disposal of the coaching staff. CEO John Galantic attended the training to show the board's proximity during this phase of preparation. Former Roma legend Antonio Tempestilli, who celebrated his 67th birthday, reflected on the approaching match in an interview. He spent 12 seasons at Roma between 1981 and 1993, split evenly with Como. Tempestilli highlighted the risks of the long international break, saying: "A break that long can cause some problems with many players away on international duty: you have to see if there has been fatigue, hope everyone has returned fit. But that applies to everyone, starting with Como. Now you have to switch back on the mentality that Roma showed before the break. Gasperini is a guarantee in that sense." Gian Piero Gasperini will hold his pre-match press conference at Trigoria tomorrow at 13:30. Elsewhere, Vincenzo Montella's tenure as Turkey's head coach has officially ended. The Turkish Football Federation announced today that its board formally removed him from his position following a series of four consecutive defeats in the recent UEFA Nations League cycle. Montella, an ex-Roma player and former manager of the club, had held the role since September 2023.

Kylian Mbappé will start for Real Madrid against Villarreal on Wednesday 14 October, just two weeks after suffering a left knee injury against Turkey. José Mourinho has opted against managing the forward's workload ahead of the visit to the Olimpico, instead electing to test his condition in match action immediately. Mbappé has been training with the group for days and the injury appears resolved. Mourinho is determined to get his attacker back to full sharpness without delay. The Villarreal fixture serves as a gauge of Mbappé's readiness before the Champions League encounter with Roma. Gian Piero Gasperini will now have to contend with the French forward at his best, having previously faced uncertainty over his availability. Federico Valverde has also recovered and will feature against Villarreal, providing another boost for Madrid's midfield. The message from Mourinho is clear: Mbappé is ready, and there will be no further caution. Gasperini is now studying how to stop him.

Roma will play Como in the sixth Serie A matchday on Sunday at 12:30. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini will hold a press conference tomorrow at 13:30 ahead of the fixture. Selection uncertainty surrounds Roma's attacking setup, with one player among Rodrigo Mora, Matías Soulé and Lorenzo Pellegrini set to support Paulo Dybala behind Donyell Malen.

Gian Piero Gasperini will address the media on 10 October at 13:30 at Trigoria ahead of Roma's fixture at Como's Sinigaglia stadium. The head coach will field questions on team selection and player fitness as Roma prepare for the match. Bryan Cristante is ruled out with a knee problem. In midfield, Rodrigo Mora is expected to start as the attacking midfielder behind the strike pairing of Donyell Malen and Paulo Dybala. At the back, there remains competition between Leonardo Balerdi and Evan N'Dicka for a defensive place.

Roma face Como in a tactical battle between Fabregas and Gasperini, two coaches with contrasting philosophies seeking to dictate play. Gasperini is considering deploying Rodrigo Mora on the trequarti in support of Dybala and Malen, a move with both technical and tactical significance. Against Como's four-man defence, this setup would allow Mora to exploit space between the lines and combine quickly with two players whose strengths complement each other: Dybala's ability to read situations others miss and Malen's capacity to attack space immediately. Marten de Roon is expected to anchor midfield, providing equilibrium and tactical knowledge of Gasperini's systems crucial against Como's possession-based approach. Evan N'Dicka is favoured over Leonardo Balerdi in defence, with Nahuel Molina and Wesley operating on the flanks. The match's decisive factor may lie on the wings. Como build superiority through passing and draw pressure to free players in space; Roma counterpress through individual aggression and advanced recovery. The fullbacks will be fundamental, needing to support attacking play without leaving the corridors Como exploits. Molina and Wesley could prove decisive both in pressing and by forcing Como's wingers to defend, preventing Fabregas's side from developing their game with continuity. The sides have met twice previously in contrasting circumstances. At the Olimpico, Roma imposed themselves through intense pressing, with Wesley scoring the decisive goal. In the return fixture, a side lacking clear attacking reference points gradually lost shape and ceded initiative to Como. However, this Roma present different offensive possibilities. The presence of Malen, Dybala's talent and Mora's potential deployment offer Gasperini solutions capable of troubling a well-organised team like Fabregas's. Roma must start aggressively, press immediately and prevent Como from gaining confidence in their passing patterns.