Brighi says Roma have been the most consistent side, backs Pisilli to follow Perrotta

Former Roma defender Antonio Carlos Zago has said Roma would have been certain winners against Napoli had the match been played at the Stadio Olimpico. Speaking to Il Tempo ahead of the trip to the Stadio Maradona, he said: "If the match had been at the Olimpico, I would have told you Roma would win 100%. At the Maradona it will be a bit more difficult, as Napoli will do everything to get out of this difficult situation. For them it could be the match that turns things around." Zago praised head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who he said has brought a winning mentality to the club. He said: "Gasperini works tremendously hard and bases his game on intensity and triangular passing. I consider him one of the three best coaches of recent years." Zago also judged Roma's summer transfer business to have been excellent. Asked whether Gasperini should keep trusting Mora even in Naples, Zago replied: "I believe Mora can be the ideal replacement for Dybala. He has started well, showing he is a strong player." On Endrick, Zago said: "He still has to fully prove his value and find his ideal role on the pitch. He would be useful to Roma, and I have no doubt he would grow a lot working with Gasperini."

Paulo Dybala's right calf has shown a clear improvement and the discomfort has almost disappeared, good news for Gian Piero Gasperini. The Argentine could return to the bench as early as Tuesday against Cagliari, possibly for a late cameo. The initial target had been the Udinese-Roma fixture, but the recovery could therefore be brought forward. Gasperini is hoping to have him back as soon as possible following the injury to Lorenzo Pellegrini. Roma are also being talked up as genuine title contenders. Former defender Zago believes the club are fully in the race for the Scudetto, saying: "It is a strong team in every department and, together with Inter, it is the favourite for the Scudetto." He has also praised Gasperini, saying: "He has brought a winning mentality. I consider him one of the three best coaches of recent years." Zago's view is that the side can get something from the trip to Napoli, where Roma face a Napoli side in the league, given the way they have been playing recently: "If Roma play the way they have been lately, they can pull it off." The flash column, which gathers short news items, rumours, anecdotes and behind-the-scenes details from across the Giallorossi world, is published on Friday 23 October 2026. The report on Dybala's fitness comes from Corriere dello Sport, while Zago's comments were reported by Il Tempo.

Donyell Malen has scored 24 goals in 29 appearances for Roma, a rate of 0.83 per game, as the Dutch forward prepares for the trip to Napoli. He has not scored in Serie A for five weeks, since his goal against Torino on 14 September. Malen's first goal under Gian Piero Gasperini came against Roma. On 6 August 2025, in a friendly at Walsall, he came on for Aston Villa in place of Watkins and scored the final goal of a 4-0 win. At Villa he struggled to find space and, above all, the role he wanted. Five months later Gasperini made him the centre of his Roma side, having watched him closely that night. Since joining Roma on 16 January, Malen has scored 24 goals in all competitions, the same number as Mbappé, Haaland, Raphinha and Yamal. Among players in the five major European leagues, only Kane, on 39, has scored more. The difference is timing: he controls, moves the ball and shoots before the defender can get set, and his first touch often prepares a quick, powerful strike. Gasperini wanted him as a centre forward for this and for the quality of his movement. He cuts in behind the centre-backs, drops to receive, and turns to attack the goal again, while also laying off passes that open space for the players behind him. Roma initially paid just €2m for him. Aston Villa accepted an onerous loan with an option to buy at €25m, which would become an obligation if two conditions were met: qualification for the Champions League or the Europa League, and at least 50% of appearances. Both have been satisfied, and the purchase has been completed.

Gianluca Piacentini of Rete Sport insisted Roma paid 25 million euros for Mora, not 50 million, in the latest instalment of the Roman radio roundup. He said: "Roma paid 25 million for Mora, then if this year he scores 100 goals and is worth 200 million, Roma have the option of paying 25 million to remove that clause on a future resale. But they did not buy 50% of the player, they bought 100% of the player. If they sell him, they must give 50% of what they receive, which Roma can remove by paying another 25 million. Since you have been insinuating for days that he is rubbish but you do not have the courage to say it, you say he was paid 50 million, but it is not true! If Roma take Mora to the end of his contract, they will have paid 25 million. It is very clear." Rossi, also on Rete Sport, reopened the debate over Pellegrini, saying that some people had doubted Roma's decision to renew Dybala and Pellegrini this summer, citing a history of injuries. He said Dybala has not reached half of his appearances and that Pellegrini had reached his 100th injury. Pellegrini has now re-injured the musculotendinous junction of the flexor, and will take another three months out. Rossi added that the injury was not fixed and that the club paid five million gross for the player, money he said Roma could have spent better. On Tele Radio Stereo, Alessio Nardo asked whether this is Pellegrini's last season with Roma, adding that the speculation should be hedged because "with Pellegrini you never know". He also questioned whether Gasperini chose to speak at his press conference today to avoid questions about possible errors in the transfer market and about underestimating certain aspects. Nardo described a city that remains bitter even after a third-place finish and seven wins in ten matches, saying Mora had become "the new Zaragoza" and had been "destroyed" over the last 48 hours. Lorenzo Pes disagreed, arguing that Gasperini skipped the press conference simply because of a run of closely spaced matches. Valentina Catoni argued that the real problem was not renewing Pellegrini but failing to sign another forward, saying Gasperini had asked for at least one more player up front. Piero Torri of Manà Manà Sport said Roma are playing the season with only 20 outfield players, two of whom, Dybala and Pellegrini, have had a hard few years. He said the club's wage bill problem is the card Roma will play in front of UEFA, and claimed Pellegrini has played only 150 minutes in total. Torri also said he would have signed El Shaarawy at the end of the window, since he could play as a wide attacker or in midfield. Paola Cosenza voiced concern about Cristante, who is returning from a collateral ligament problem, fearing he may force his recovery. Marco Valerio Corsi said he expected Gasperini to protect Mora in the match at Napoli if he delivered another lacklustre performance, and that he doubted Wesley could play as a forward. Roberto Pruzzo said Soulé is growing and that Roma should build around him, and that he sees Santiago Castro as the alternative, adding that Mora looks too far behind the level required for the stage he is being asked to perform on. He said: "We must hope Malen doesn't even have a cold, otherwise it gets tough." Mario Mattioli argued that Pellegrini had only returned from injury two matches earlier and that the club had already lived through a similar situation. Nando Orsi criticised the constant talk of signings and of how Gasperini's training compares with that of previous years. The discussion is set to continue on the same programme, with pundits calling for Roma to reach January in contention for the top places before the club reassesses its options.

Filippo Biafora of Radio Manà Manà said the renewal of Marco Lulli's contract is done, with the defender set to sign a deal running until 2031 with a rising salary. Biafora said he had no confirmation on the operation involving Lorenzo Pellegrini, who for the moment will be out for a couple of months. Regardless of that situation, he said, Gasperini has strongly asked for investment in January. Francesco Balzani of Tele Radio Stereo said he expected Mora not to start. He said Cristante was awaited for a decision the previous day, and that Cristante had said he could start, with the club to assess how his minutes are managed because he cannot play the whole match. Balzani recalled that Gasperini played Cristante as a high forward against Allegri's Milan last year and could repeat it. He expects Cristante to start and Mora to come on if Roma need more technical quality, adding that Gasperini does not consider pairing the two strikers. Balzani said that starting Mora would upset the balance against a strong side in Naples, and that other moves would be forced. Mario Mattioli of Radio Radio said: "The injury to Pellegrini, but it is not that now every injury means going back to the market. What happens when you get the starters back? They should have foreseen that Gasperini's training was not what Roma were used to. Roma now train with a capital 'A', before it was not like this, but the fault certainly does not lie with the market." Roberto Pruzzo, also of Radio Radio, said: "We need to understand what role Castro can play, who at this moment can be the alternative. Mora seems too far behind to me. We must hope Malen does not catch a cold, otherwise it becomes tough. Above all in managing matches: we must make sure we reach January still there, and then sign players on the market." Lorenzo Pes of TeleradioStereo said that in June a discussion had opened about the length of Pellegrini's contract, especially on how such fragile players can lead to a different squad make-up. Dybala, Pellegrini and Koné often stop, and with the first two you have to reckon. He said Roma travel to Napoli with 17 outfield players, which is very few. Pes said Gasperini wanted to keep this squad, believing it would improve this season, and had strongly wanted to keep Dybala and Pellegrini.

Roma are reportedly preparing to strengthen the January transfer window after a severe injury crisis left Gian Piero Gasperini with a severely depleted squad ahead of the trip to Napoli. Il Messaggero reports that the absences of Pellegrini and Dybala, along with Svilar and Koné, have created a genuine emergency at the club, and the club is expected to spend heavily to give the coach at least two reinforcements between attack and the flanks. Gasperini is being forced to reshape the attacking midfield with only Mora and Soulé behind Malen, and has even considered moving Cristante forward. Gittens and Leweling remain on the club's shortlist, without ruling out the appealing but complicated pursuit of Endrick. On the left flank, Barcelona full-back Alejandro Balde has emerged as a major new name. He has been finding limited game time under Flick, and has been put forward by agent Jorge Mendes. His name joins that of Oosterwolde, and Roma hope to conclude signings of real quality to stay competitive and keep their season ambitions alive.

Lorenzo Pellegrini will be sidelined for at least two months after suffering a high-grade tear to the semitendinosus in his right thigh, an injury picked up in Roma's Champions League match against Slovan Bratislava, Il Tempo reports. The midfielder's latest setback effectively ends his 2026 and leaves Gian Piero Gasperini facing a serious shortage ahead of the big match against Napoli. The Slovan Bratislava injury is Pellegrini's third in the same area this year, following a relapse in April, a surgical procedure in Finland and a summer spent in rehabilitation and contract renewal. He has played just 150 minutes and missed 14 matches, and he now risks missing the next 12 fixtures up to the December break. The run of injuries began last winter. With the Napoli trip approaching, Gasperini has limited options. Only Mora and Soulé are available in the attacking midfield zone, while Cristante's condition in midfield will need to be assessed, with De Roon and Pisilli already heavily relied upon.

Roma travel to Napoli with their attack severely depleted, and Gian Piero Gasperini must decide whether to start Rodrigo Mora or move Bryan Cristante behind Donyell Malen for Saturday's clash at the Maradona. The injuries to Paulo Dybala and Lorenzo Pellegrini have removed two key players from the final third at the same time, while Manu Koné is still sidelined. Moving a midfielder further forward therefore means thinning out another area of the team. Mora is the more natural option. He is one of the few specialist attacking midfielders still available, and although his talent is obvious, he is still adapting to the demands of Italian football, Gasperini's tactical requirements and a system that asks a great deal of players without the ball. He did not manage to make the impact he would have liked against Slovan, but the emergency could offer him a major opportunity. The alternative is Cristante, who has just returned from injury. He could be deployed a few metres further forward, a position he knows well, which would give Roma more physicality, runs into the box and presence in the central zone. Among midfielders who can adapt to the final third, Cristante appears to have a slightly better chance than Niccolò Pisilli. In that case, Pisilli would stay alongside Marten de Roon in midfield, avoiding further weakening a unit already without Koné. It is a more conservative choice in terms of balance, but it would still allow Gasperini to add weight and experience behind the striker. Up front, there appear to be no doubts about Matías Soulé and Malen. The Argentine remains the main creative reference, while the Dutchman will again lead the attack. Santiago Castro is practically the only natural alternative to the centre-forward, and there remains a possibility, perhaps once the match is under way, of seeing both strikers on the pitch together. However, the starting line-up tells only part of the problem. Roma arrive in Naples with very few options to change the shape of their attacking play during the game, and that is the aspect that concerns Gasperini most on the eve of a period in which fixtures will follow one another without pause.

Lorenzo Pellegrini faces a long spell on the sidelines after suffering a serious muscle injury, with Roma's captain expected to be out for at least two months and not back until 2027. The blow comes as Gian Piero Gasperini prepares for the tricky trip to Napoli with a depleted squad and is forced to look for emergency solutions. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Roma are going through a difficult period, hit by a long run of injuries that is limiting Gasperini's options. Tests revealed a high-grade tear to Pellegrini's right thigh, which will require around two months out. It is another cruel setback for the captain, who is already returning from a lengthy rehabilitation process that began in 2025. Manu Koné and Paulo Dybala are also absent, and with a packed fixture schedule the resources are stretched thin. For the trip to Napoli, Gasperini will have to improvise in the attacking midfield zone. One of the most concrete options is to field Pisilli, De Roon and Cristante together, with Cristante pushed forward into the trequarti. Cristante has recovered, although he is wearing a prominent strapping. The formation has already been used successfully against top-level opposition such as Milan, Inter and Lazio, where its purpose was to shield the opposing playmaker, in this case Lobotka, and to bring balance to a side that once again has to make a virtue of necessity.

Roma have reached an agreement with Emanuele Lulli on a contract extension running until 2031, according to Il Messaggero. The deal is effectively done, with the defender's salary set to rise over the course of the contract. Lulli, a product of the club's youth ranks, scored his first Serie A goal in Saturday's match against Genoa. He is now a fixed point in Gian Piero Gasperini's Roma side. Last summer he came close to joining Avellino, but the coach blocked the move. The club's aim has always been to avoid repeating the mistake made with Romano in June. Lulli is already part of the Italy Under-21 squad and is also being monitored by Roberto Mancini. Roma face Napoli tomorrow, and Lulli could start, with a battle for the place still open against Molina.

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.

Roma's central defenders Hermoso, Balerdi and Ghilardi have been named in Sofascore's Team of the Week for the latest Champions League round, after a performance that kept Slovan Bratislava out completely. The three Roma defenders gave away nothing to the side coached by Yaya Touré. Roma have conceded only three goals in their first seven Serie A matches, a record built on a back line that is growing more solid despite the absence of several players who were fundamental in recent years. The arrivals of Balerdi and Koulierakis, and the continued development of Ghilardi, have given Gasperini the option to rest two first-team regulars, Ndicka and Mancini. Sofascore's selection was described as deserved. The Team of the Week's defence, drawn from the best side in the League Phase, was dominated by Gasperini's Roma backline. The selection also includes attackers Doué, Nico Paz, Foden and Ngumoha from the wider group of top clubs in the competition.