Bove undergoes right knee checks at Villa Stuart while building form at Watford

Inter will have Federico Dimarco available for their match against Roma on Saturday, barring any setback. The Italian defender is recovering from an injury that forced him to miss Inter's Champions League trip to Real Madrid and trained partially with the squad this morning. He could also be included in Inter's lineup for their Monday fixture at Udine. Djed Spence, by contrast, remains unavailable — he is still training separately and is unlikely to feature against Roma. Roma travel to face Torino on Monday before hosting Inter on Saturday, two matches in five days that will provide early indicators of the teams' title ambitions. After three matches, Roma sit top of Serie A on a perfect record, level with Lazio and Inter, the defending Italian champions. Inter boss Chivu will have Dimarco in contention for the big match, but Spence's absence will limit his options in defence.

Inter expect to have Federico Dimarco available for their top-of-the-table clash with Roma on 19 September, though the left-back will miss their trip to Udinese this weekend. Dimarco completed half of Inter's training session today and is on course to be fit for the visit to Friuli, positioning him at full availability for the fixture at the Olimpico in eight days' time. Roma face Torino away on Monday at 18:30 before hosting Inter in what Inter manager Chivu is treating as a crucial contest. The meeting carries significant implications for both sides' title credentials, with squad fitness set to be a key factor. Djed Spence's situation is bleaker. According to Sky Sport, the English defender will be unavailable for Inter's Udinese match and is very likely to miss the Roma encounter as well.

Manu Koné was forced off in the 52nd minute of Roma's Champions League match against Fenerbahçe in Istanbul on 10 September with a knee problem, immediately raising concerns at the club. The French midfielder's early departure after just seven minutes of the second half has put the Roma medical staff on high alert as they assess whether he will be fit for the club's forthcoming fixtures. Koné is a central figure in Roma's midfield, making his early exit particularly worrying for head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. The initial indications suggest the injury may not be serious, however, with the club treating it with measured optimism. No instrumental tests have been scheduled, a decision that suggests the problem is not expected to be severe, though Roma will need to monitor the knee's response over the coming hours and during the resumption of training. The midfielder's condition will be assessed day by day by Roma's medical staff with no scans currently planned. The club will monitor the situation daily as Gasperini waits to confirm whether Koné can be available for Roma's next matches.