Brighton awaits Roma in final British pre-season test

Roma face Sassuolo at the Stadio Olimpico tomorrow evening in their final match before the November international break, and the club's injury crisis shows no sign of easing. It is the ninth game in 27 days for Gian Piero Gasperini's side. Mile Svilar and Devyne Rensch are certainly out, as is Paulo Dybala, who trained apart from the squad again yesterday. Gianluca Mancini did not train when the squad returned to work, but there is no cause for alarm, with the club only managing his workload. He is in a race with Leonardo Balerdi to start from the first minute against Sassuolo. Roma hope to recover one or two more players, but that looks unlikely. Sassuolo are coached by former Roma captain Fabio Grosso, and the match marks a return for Roma's recent schedule to the sort of pressure that has defined this period. Manu Koné offers the brightest hope. According to Il Messaggero, the French midfielder completed a personalised session on the pitch yesterday and will take a fitness test today to try to return to the matchday squad. Leggo reports that Koné wants to play against Sassuolo and then answer the call from France. Roma are holding back, however, given his long layoff and frequent setbacks. The feeling is that the next few hours could be decisive. Pierluigi Gollini is also in doubt. Roma's medical staff are proceeding with infiltrations to resolve the back problem that forced him to withdraw from the match against Manchester United at Old Trafford. The goalkeeper will do everything he can to recover, but in the meantime Devis Vásquez is warming up. Vásquez's last Serie A appearance came on 25 May 2025, in an Empoli shirt.

Roma head into the Serie A match against Sassuolo with a complicated injury list, with goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini a major doubt. Gollini is sidelined by a back problem and his fitness will only be assessed at the last moment, which could open the way for him to start from the first minute if he is passed fit. Defender Devyne Rensch has suffered a first-degree tear to his right adductor after going off early in Roma's Champions League clash with Manchester United. He will be out for around twenty days. Paulo Dybala is also already ruled out, with his return now scheduled for directly after the international break. Il Tempo reports cautious optimism over Manu Koné. The French midfielder has trained individually on the pitch after returning from England and is determined to earn a call-up for the match at the Olimpico against Sassuolo, which would give Gian Piero Gasperini a valuable option to bring on during the game. Meanwhile, Roma's players have received official call-ups for their respective national teams ahead of the international fixtures.

Filippo Reale endured a difficult afternoon as Carrarese were beaten 3-0 by Verona at the Bentegodi, with the Roma loanee's mistake directly leading to the second goal. Neil El Aynaoui continued to earn important minutes for RB Leipzig, starting in both the Bundesliga and the Champions League, while Robinio Vaz was left out of the Hull City squad. Mohamed Seck impressed again for Foggia, and Anass Salah-Eddine won the Greek derby but remained out of the following European fixture. Here is the full roundup of Roma's players on loan away from the capital. Reale, a defender born in 2006, was already under pressure after a penalty he conceded against Arezzo. He was named in the starting line-up for the trip to Verona, where Carrarese were overwhelmed 3-0. Harroui gave Verona the lead in the 10th minute, before the decisive moment for Reale in the 22nd minute. He anticipated Mosquera on a long ball from goalkeeper Perilli but misplayed a backpass towards Pizzignacco. Colombian forward Mosquera stole the ball, rounded the keeper and made it 2-0. Sarr sealed the result in the 38th minute. Reale played all 90 minutes but could not recover. Tuttomercatoweb gave him a 4.5, highlighting the mistake for the second goal. He was not booked, but two decisive errors in a few days represent a sharp step back after his good performances in previous weeks. (Loan with an option and counter-option to buy) El Aynaoui, the Moroccan midfielder, continued to find playing time in Bundesliga and Champions League matches. On Saturday he started the 2-0 win at Schalke 04, with goals from Nusa, from the penalty spot, and Rômulo. He played the full 90 minutes and contributed to the management of the midfield. A tougher test followed on Wednesday, when he was again picked from the start against Manchester City in the Champions League. Leipzig lost 3-2 after a competitive game in which they twice came back from behind before conceding the decisive goal from Haaland in the 78th minute. El Aynaoui was booked in the 48th minute and played until the 74th, when Demichelis replaced him with Seiwald. He had no goals or assists across the two games, but his 164 combined minutes confirm he is now an important presence in the German side's rotation. (Loan with an option to buy) Vaz, the French forward, had a particular week. Having recovered from injury, he continues to struggle for a place in the Premier League. On Saturday he was left out of the Hull City squad for the 2-2 draw with Ipswich Town. Head coach Sergej Jakirovic said the young player must improve his physical condition and increase the intensity of his training, partly because of an incomplete summer preparation. That decision led to him playing for the Under-21 side. On Monday Vaz featured against Derby County in the Premier League Cup, helping the Tigers to a 1-0 win. He came close in the 23rd minute with a shot on target, saved by goalkeeper Djedje. The winner arrived only in stoppage time, from Kieran Wilson. Vaz had no goals or assists, but the match helped him regain rhythm and fitness. It remains to be seen when he will return to the first-team squad. (Loan with an option to buy) Seck continues to earn the trust of Gaetano Auteri. On Monday he was confirmed as a starter in the trip to Casarano, which ended in a spectacular 2-2 draw. Foggia led in the 24th minute through Ravasio, were levelled by Mercadante in stoppage time of the first half and, despite a numerical advantage after Negro was sent off in the 54th minute, conceded the lead to Ciotti in the 84th. Luciani equalised in the 95th minute. Seck played all 90 minutes without a booking, offering an attentive display and limiting individual errors. Foggiacalciomania rated him a positive 6.6, highlighting the progress of the young defender. (Loan) Salah-Eddine, the Moroccan full-back, had a week of highs and spells on the bench. On Sunday he came on in the 71st minute of the derby against AEK Athens, which Panathinaikos won 2-0 with goals from Tetteh and Andino. Neestrup brought him on for Kyriakopoulos to manage the lead, with the hosts two goals ahead and a numerical advantage after Kangwa was sent off in the 70th minute. The Roma loanee played the final 19 minutes plus stoppage time and was booked in the 92nd minute, without a goal or assist. On Thursday Panathinaikos beat CSKA Sofia 2-1 in the Conference League, with goals from Calabria and Taborda, but Salah-Eddine was not in the matchday squad. He was therefore a bench appearance in the league and did not play in the European match. Competition on the left flank remains high despite his progress in recent weeks. (Loan with an option to buy) Federico Nardin, a defender born in 2007, continues to develop and is increasingly selected by Antonio Buscè. On Saturday he started the 0-0 draw with Torres at the Adriatico and played the full 90 minutes, helping to keep a clean sheet. His most notable moment came in the 64th minute, when he came close to his first professional goal. Served by Meazzi, he found a good position but shot over the bar. Pescara created several chances without converting them.

Roma have repeatedly let leads slip in recent matches, a problem that has exposed the thinness of their squad and led to worrying dips in energy, according to Corriere dello Sport. The most glaring examples came against Manchester United, Real Madrid and Inter, while the Giallorossi also dropped points or momentum against Lecce, Torino, Cagliari and Udinese, though they still managed to win those games. The data back up the trend. Roma have taken 20 fewer shots in second halves than in first halves, and their xG, ball recoveries and touches in the opposition box also decline after the interval. Defensively the cost has been clear: they have conceded just 3 goals in the first 45 minutes, 15 after the interval and 9 in the final portion of games. Management is planning to be active in January, La Gazzetta dello Sport reports, and the club will look to repeat the approach that brought Donyell Malen to the club in the winter window last year, targeting players unhappy with their minutes elsewhere. Roma have navigated the simultaneous absences of Paulo Dybala and Manu Koné better than in the past, but the spell still left its mark. The capital club is interested in Jamie Gittens and Endrick, who are in that situation. Giorgi Kvernadze and Jamie Leweling, meanwhile, are fixtures for Frosinone and Stuttgart. Roma also intend to add a central midfielder. Overall, the club have done well outside their clashes with the very best sides, but a couple more options would help a coach who likes to make changes from the bench. A midfield powerhouse would be more useful than an extra attacker, assuming Rodrigo Mora and Santiago Castro keep developing.

Gian Piero Gasperini has stressed that Roma need more to be competitive in the Champions League, following a 3-2 defeat to Manchester United. The head coach's message comes as the squad is thin, and the club is without Paulo Dybala and Lorenzo Pellegrini in attack. Over the last two weeks, the attacking options have been limited to Rodrigo Mora, Donyell Malen, Matías Soulé and Santiago Castro, which the article describes as four players for three places. The attacker Roma wanted has not arrived for a second successive summer, and the article claims the Friedkin Group has failed to make the investment the club needed. While Roma have struggled, several of the players Gasperini had suggested as reinforcements have been featuring prominently elsewhere in the Champions League. Nusa was among the best players on the pitch in the match against Manchester City, scoring a goal. Tresoldi, who scored a hat-trick at San Siro against Inter, scored again yesterday against PSV Eindhoven and sits second in the top-scorers standings alongside Haaland on five goals, behind only Douvikas of Como. In Istanbul, Greenwood scored the opening goal as Fenerbahce beat Liverpool 3-2. Fabio Silva also scored and assisted for Borussia Dortmund against Betis, and he struck against Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga on Saturday. Gasperini said: "To be competitive in the Champions League, we need more." The article notes that the coach's work has masked the squad's limitations, but that when the level rises, those problems can no longer be hidden. The article says Roma will need a new signing in January, with Endrick, Gittens, Leweling and van Bommel under consideration.

Matías Soulé has been the standout Roma performer in a grey night at Old Trafford, scoring his first Champions League goal and winning the penalty that Donyell Malen converted, in a game Roma ultimately lost. According to Daniele Aloisi in Il Messaggero, the Argentine is enjoying his best form yet, and the attacking hub for Roma's offence has been Soulé rather than Paulo Dybala, who is currently absent. Soulé has already scored four goals this season, against Lecce, Atalanta, Napoli and Manchester United, and has provided five assists, with his assists coming against Atalanta, Real Madrid (two) and Udinese (two). Last season, at the same stage, he had also scored the same number of goals but only two assists. He is playing a more decisive role than before, and for the first time since joining the club he is not leaving a noticeable gap without Dybala. The article describes Dybala as having become a technical leader, having put behind him the groin problem and, above all, a complicated summer. Soulé had been in the shadows during big matches last season, when his goals came against Pisa, Verona, Fiorentina, Rangers, Cremonese, Genoa and Sassuolo. Soulé has also been recalled to the Argentina squad by coach Scaloni, alongside Leonardo Balerdi and Santiago Castro, and he is set to be the focus of the two friendlies against Uruguay and Costa Rica.

Roma continue to battle an injury crisis ahead of their home match against Sassuolo, with Gian Piero Gasperini left with a severely reduced set of options. The latest absence is Devyne Rensch, whose instrumental tests revealed a first-degree tear of the long adductor in his right leg. He is expected to be out for around three weeks, with a return planned after the international break. Paulo Dybala will not feature. He has yet to recover and will continue personalised training, aiming to be available again directly after the national team commitments. There is slightly better news on Manu Koné, the French midfielder, who has completed individualised work on the pitch and will undergo the final decisive test today to determine whether he can be included at least in the matchday squad and start on the bench. In midfield, given the fatigue accumulated over recent weeks, Cristante and De Roon will form the pairing to lead the engine room, with Pisilli ready to contribute. The goalkeeping position also needs close monitoring. Pierluigi Gollini remains in serious doubt because of a back problem that could force him to withdraw, despite attempting to play through with infiltrations. If Gollini cannot recover, Devis Vásquez is ready to return to the starting lineup from the first minute, a place in Serie A he would win back after many months. Ndicka is set to return to the defence, while Mancini is being managed under a planned programme. Up front, Malen and Soulé will lead the attack with Mora in support.

Donyell Malen is set to lead Roma's attack again when they host Sassuolo at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday, as the Giallorossi look to climb to the top of Serie A despite a growing injury list and the demands of the Champions League. Malen has never faced Sassuolo in a Roma shirt, as he had not yet arrived in the capital for their last meeting in January. The Dutch forward has scored 12 goals this season and has 27 in 33 appearances for the club overall. He scored 14 Serie A goals in the second half of last season and has eight in the first 10 matchdays of this campaign. He scored again in Manchester, confirming his role as the focal point of an attack that has found valuable support in Soulé and Mora. Argentine Soulé creates, Portuguese Mora supports, and Malen finishes. The match pits the best attack in Serie A against the worst defence. Roma have scored 28 goals, the most in the league, while Sassuolo, under Aquilani, have conceded 26 and arrive on the back of four consecutive defeats. Roma are fighting to put pressure on their rivals at the top of the table, having been forced to manage a squad hit by a lengthening list of absentees. The report, written by Marco Juric for La Repubblica, underlines how Gasperini's side are relying on a familiar formula. Soulé's invention, Mora's movement and Malen's finishing have made the forward line the team's most potent force, and Roma will be looking to keep that partnership productive against a Sassuolo side desperate for a result.

Roma are battling a growing injury crisis ahead of Saturday's clash with Sassuolo, with Daniele Rensch's absence joined by doubts over Paulo Dybala and goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini. Devyne Rensch has a first-degree adductor tear, the tests revealed, and will not return until the Parma match after the international break. Dybala, who did not train with the rest of the group at Monday's resumption, is heading towards missing tomorrow's game. The squad is stretched thin. Il Messaggero's Daniele Aloisi reports that Gasperini has only sixteen outfield players available, leaving him with very few choices and few decisions to make. Mile Svilar will certainly miss out, and Gollini's involvement is also at risk because of a back problem that persists, though he will try to play to the end with the help of infiltrations. Devis Vásquez is ready to step in, having not played a Serie A match since 25 May 2025. Manu Koné offers some hope. He has carried out individualised work on the pitch and will undergo a fitness test today in an attempt to return to the matchday squad. Mancini did not train yesterday for a planned, routine rest. Malen and Soulé are expected to lead the attack, with Mora pushing for a place to complete the front three. Pisilli is further down the pecking order and is set to operate in the central space alongside Cristante and de Roon. If de Roon starts, he would become the only player to have started each of Roma's last nine matches. On the right, Molina and Lulli are in contention for a spot, while Wesley will play on the left. At the back, N'Dicka is set to return, alongside Mancini or Balerdi and Hermoso.

Roma are battling a growing injury crisis ahead of Saturday's clash with Sassuolo, with Daniele Rensch's absence joined by doubts over Paulo Dybala and goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini. Devyne Rensch has a first-degree adductor tear, the tests revealed, and will not return until the Parma match after the international break. Dybala, who did not train with the rest of the group at Monday's resumption, is heading towards missing tomorrow's game. The squad is stretched thin. Il Messaggero's Daniele Aloisi reports that Gasperini has only sixteen outfield players available, leaving him with very few choices and few decisions to make. Mile Svilar will certainly miss out, and Gollini's involvement is also at risk because of a back problem that persists, though he will try to play to the end with the help of infiltrations. Devis Vásquez is ready to step in, having not played a Serie A match since 25 May 2025. Manu Koné offers some hope. He has carried out individualised work on the pitch and will undergo a fitness test today in an attempt to return to the matchday squad. Mancini did not train yesterday for a planned, routine rest. Malen and Soulé are expected to lead the attack, with Mora pushing for a place to complete the front three. Pisilli is further down the pecking order and is set to operate in the central space alongside Cristante and de Roon. If de Roon starts, he would become the only player to have started each of Roma's last nine matches. On the right, Molina and Lulli are in contention for a spot, while Wesley will play on the left. At the back, N'Dicka is set to return, alongside Mancini or Balerdi and Hermoso.

Roma prepare to host Sassuolo at the Stadio Olimpico with their players running on empty after a gruelling run of European and domestic fixtures. The Giallorossi are about to play their eighth match in just 23 days, an average of one game every three days. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini had warned of the strain after the trip to Old Trafford, saying: "We are on a razor's edge." Prolonged absences of key players including Paulo Dybala, Manu Koné and Pierluigi Gollini have forced Gasperini to rely almost constantly on the same players, asking for one more effort before the international break. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, minutes data confirms the physical toll on the squad's main figures. Marten de Roon leads the outfield players with 673 minutes, ahead of Matías Soulé on 586 and Evan N'Dicka on 554, followed by Niccolò Pisilli, Mario Hermoso, Donyell Malen, Nahuel Molina and Gianluca Mancini. De Roon has been asked to play almost every match in full and showed visible fatigue in the closing stages of the trip to Manchester. The analysis also highlights the defensive impact of Mile Svilar's absence. With Svilar on the pitch, Roma concede 0.66 goals per match, but without him that figure rises to 1.75, with 14 goals conceded in 8 games. Against Sassuolo, Gasperini will ask his players for one final collective sacrifice to close out this punishing spell and recover valuable resources during the break for internationals.

Roma return to Serie A on Saturday evening, hosting Sassuolo at the Stadio Olimpico in the eleventh round, the last fixture before the international break. Kickoff is at 20:45 on Saturday 7 November. Sassuolo are coached by former Roma midfielder Alberto Aquilani, and Gasperini's side will look to bounce back from the disappointment of a late comeback against Manchester United in the Champions League. Roma lost 3-2 at Old Trafford, having led 2-0 at half-time through goals from Soulé and Malen before Manchester United completed the turnaround in the second half. In Serie A the mood is far brighter. Roma beat Udinese 5-2 in their last outing and sit third after ten rounds with 24 points, from seven wins and three draws. They have scored 28 and conceded 10, and remain unbeaten in the league this season. Sassuolo, by contrast, are seventeenth with 8 points from ten matches. They arrive on a run of four consecutive defeats and have the worst defence in Serie A. Their last game ended in a 4-2 defeat at the Mapei Stadium to Fiorentina, and they have also lost to Lazio, Como and Frosinone in recent weeks. Gasperini faces an early selection problem in goal. Pierluigi Gollini missed the Manchester United game with a back problem that came up during training, and his condition will be monitored up to the match. If he is ruled out, Devis Vásquez, who started at Old Trafford, will again be in goal. Mancini, N'Dicka and Hermoso are expected back in defence, although Ghilardi remains a concrete option after good performances in recent weeks. Molina and Wesley are favoured on the flanks. Devyne Rensch will not be available, having suffered a right adductor injury against Manchester United. Cristante is expected to keep his place in midfield, while the partner alongside him is still open, with Pisilli possibly giving de Roon a rest. Up front, Soulé and Malen look certain to start, with Mora expected to play behind or alongside the Argentine. Koné and Dybala are doubtful, with both hoping to be available at least on the bench. Svilar will certainly miss the game, as he completes his recovery from a stress fracture to his fifth toe and is expected back after the break. Pellegrini is also out, still recovering from the muscle problem he suffered against Slovan Bratislava. Sassuolo are expected to line up in a 4-3-3. Turati is the favourite in goal, protected by a back line of Walukiewicz, Idzes, Candé and Doig. Thorstvedt returns in midfield after serving his suspension against Fiorentina, and is expected to be joined by Matic and one of Bakola or Adzic. Up front, Aquilani will rely on his most creative players: Berardi on the right, Laurienté on the opposite flank and Sebastiano Esposito as the central reference point. Leysen, who has a serious knee injury, and Ismaël Koné, who is recovering from a leg fracture, are out for Sassuolo, along with Boloca and Volpato. Roma's head-to-head record at the Olimpico against Sassuolo is strong. Of 12 Serie A meetings played in Rome, Roma have won six, five have ended level and Sassuolo have won just once, a 4-3 victory in March 2023. The most recent meeting was on 10 January 2026, when Roma won 2-0. Overall, including matches in Emilia, the record reads 13 wins for Roma, 9 draws and just 2 wins for Sassuolo. The match will be broadcast live on DAZN and Sky Sport Calcio, and streamed via Sky Go and NOW. Official line-ups will be announced about an hour before kickoff at 20:45 on Saturday 7 November.