Castro: Gasperini gives me confidence; Malen is among Serie A's best

Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has turned his attention to Saturday's home match against Roma after his side drew 0-0 with Parma. Speaking to Dazn at the final whistle, the Nigerian said: "We always want to win and we need points. At Parma we took one and that's fine, now straight away our focus is on the next one." Udinese have been unlucky in recent games, and Okoye pointed to the absence of key players as a factor. "In these matches we have been unlucky, and then we were missing players like Zaniolo, whose importance we saw today." The Italian headline's quote, "We will play to win", reflects the same determination heading into the clash with Roma. The Friuli side face Roma at home on Saturday, with the Giallorossi arriving in Udine looking to continue their campaign. Okoye's comments underline Udinese's need for points as they look to climb the table, and his praise for Zaniolo highlights how much the hosts have missed their creative presence during recent fixtures.

Roma travel to Udinese on Saturday at 20:45 in the tenth round of Serie A, at the Bluenergy Stadium, four days after beating Cagliari at home. Gasperini's side must again do without starters Svilar, Koné and Dybala, but can count on Malen, who already has 10 goals this season, and an Soulé in outstanding form. On the other side, the spotlight falls on Nicolò Zaniolo, the hero of Roma's Conference League triumph who left the capital amid controversy. Zaniolo remains one of Udinese's most unpredictable players, combining physicality, ball carrying and an ability to attack the box. The former Roma midfielder can operate behind the striker or start wider before cutting inside on his left foot, relying above all on the power of his runs and his ability to withstand physical contact with defenders. This early Serie A campaign has seen him make 4 appearances, 3 of them as a starter, for a total of 245 minutes, without a goal or an assist so far. His attacking numbers remain flat, partly because of an injury that affected him in recent weeks, but he is still one of the players Udinese rely on to create overloads and to spark their play in the final thirty metres. Against Roma he is expected to try to exploit the transitions and the spaces left by Gasperini's high defensive line. Soulé, by contrast, has shown more consistency and greater incisiveness, and has become one of the pillars of Roma's attack, even more so with Dybala absent. The Argentine often starts from the right before cutting inside onto his left foot, but within Gasperini's system he has the freedom to move between the lines, drop into midfield and combine with the other forwards. His start to the league season has been very positive: 9 appearances, 6 as a starter, 594 minutes played, 3 goals and 1 assist. Those numbers place him among the most productive players in the squad, with 4 direct goal contributions in Serie A. He combines quality in dribbling, a good final pass and danger in front of goal, as shown by the goal he scored in the recent 3-3 draw at Napoli. His growth in mentality in this first part of the season has also stood out, with a sense of security and leadership that is increasingly evident.

Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has set his sights on Roma after his side's draw with Parma, saying his team must keep collecting points. Speaking to Dazn on Wednesday, Okoye said: "We always want to win and we need points. At Parma we took one and that's fine, now straight away our focus is on the next one." The clash with Roma is at the Dacia Arena on Saturday, with kickoff at 18:00. Udinese were left frustrated by their recent results, and Okoye believes they have been unlucky in these type of games. He also pointed to the absence of Nicolò Zaniolo, the former Roma midfielder now at Udinese, as a reason for the setbacks. Okoye said: "In these matches we have been unlucky, then we have missed players like Zaniolo, whose importance we have seen today."

Injuries have given Gian Piero Gasperini the chance to field more youngsters than usual, and Roma's results have stayed steady, Corriere dello Sport points out. Emanuele Lulli and Niccolò Pisilli both featured midweek against Cagliari and have been regulars so far. Lulli has been a true revelation. He is fresh out of the club's youth academy and was supposed to join Avellino on loan, but he stayed because Roma could not sign another wing-back in the summer. He has been seriously pushing Nahuel Molina for minutes, and the club quickly rewarded him with a new contract until 2021. Pisilli has been filling in for Manu Koné and has scored four times already. Rodrigo Mora is still finding his footing after joining Roma in the summer, although he bagged a pivotal goal in one such game. His acquisition could be worth up to €50m, so the club has a lot at stake with him. Gasperini is bringing him along slowly, particularly with Paulo Dybala currently sidelined. With some rotation, and with Koulierakis, Santiago Castro, Wesley and Soulé not too old despite being more seasoned, Roma's starting XI on Wednesday had an average age of 25.8 years. Among the top Serie A teams, only Como field a younger lineup. Injuries and a packed schedule create these kinds of opportunities, and coaches and talents must be ready to seize them. Not everyone does. Gasperini, however, is a master of player development, a process that is not always a straight line and sometimes requires pumping the brakes.

Roman radio pundits debated Roma's squad depth, Paulo Dybala's fitness and the Udinese and Manchester United fixtures in a round-up of the capital's football talk shows. David Rossi of Rete Sport said he was worried that Roma are short of players, pointing to Matías Soulé and Niccolò Pisilli, who he said have been playing three matches a week for some time. He said Roma play a demanding style and that the midfield is very thin: if Roma rest Roon, who is not in good shape, Cristante still has to play against Udinese, and then in Manchester he asked what would happen without him. Rossi called the decision to use four midfielders, attributed to Gasperini and D'Amico, an enormous error of judgement. He said Gasperini had wanted the contracts of Dybala and Pellegrini, adding that Roma would be in a better position had they signed two players who were alive, even if less talented. On Dybala, Rossi said: "Dybala was a beast here, a beast there, but now Gasperini has realised he has the pain threshold of a 5-year-old child. Mora has done more than Dybala, the same as Soulè, but you can't say it..." Fabio Petruzzi of Rete Sport said Roma have clearly improved on last year, showing they are a strong side. He said last year you struggled and created little, while now Roma look like a stronger Atalanta. He said they have reached the top but can improve in the transfer market with two wide players and a midfielder. He said Roma were less of a team than usual against Cagliari but still won, and that Cagliari had given them more problems than Como and Inter. He added that some tiredness is to be expected. Claudio Moroni, also of Rete Sport, argued that Dybala should be sacrificed on the left with Soulè on the right, saying Soulè's best form comes from the right and that Dybala's performance hardly changes between the two flanks. Mario Corsi of Tele Radio Stereo praised Mora for a fine headed goal, but warned against calling him a new Messi. Turning to Juventus, he said their crisis was 80% the team's fault and 20% Spalletti's, adding that Conte was not being considered and that Pioli is the available option. Lorenzo Pes of Tele Radio Stereo said Dybala only did physiotherapy yesterday but he remains convinced the player wants to play the Champions League match against Manchester United. He said the injury has healed, that Dybala can theoretically train and has overcome the physical problem. He said the medical staff and the player's own feelings will decide, and that Dybala would probably try to rejoin the group partially today. He said keeping the door open for Manchester is important, and that having him on the bench for Udine would also be valuable. Piero Torri of Manà Manà Sport said Roma were robbed in yesterday's match against Venezia. He said Udinese have shown signs of revival, having recovered most of their players including Zaniolo, and that the fixture worries him. If Balerdi has recovered, he expects him to start, with Ghilardi possibly replacing Mancini, and expects Lulli alongside Wesley and Pisilli with Cristante. On Como, he said they have always been title candidates and that anyone who thinks otherwise is wrong, given their strong players, great football and a fine coach. Roberto Pruzzo of Radio Radio said he had backed Castro but that a player who has not played for two months cannot simply step in and become a star. He said the transfer market has brought Roma reserves, good alternatives who are not able to play as starters, and that when Malen is missing you notice straight away. Nando Orsi of Radio Radio questioned whether Roma are too dependent on Malen, pointing out that he brought Roma into the Champions League. He said that when he has been absent, Roma have struggled to score, but that Roma are not bottom of the table despite heavy absences, noting Lazio are top despite missing four key players. Ilario Di Giovambattista of Radio Radio named the Roma players he would take for Lazio: Malen, Svilar, and Ghilardi, whom he said he adores. He would also take Koné for midfield, and said that for Soulè he would keep Isaksen and put Soulè on the bench.

Roma's win over Cagliari has underlined how central the club's young players have become to Gian Piero Gasperini's project. The Giallorossi rely confidently on their Under-23 players, who have made decisive contributions at key moments of matches, as shown by the performances and goals of those who came through the youth sector and have been developed by the coach. Among the positives is the steady progress of Emanuele Lulli, who recently renewed his contract until 2031. The 2005-born defender scored his second consecutive league goal in front of the Curva Sud, and has established himself as a valuable asset and an important presence in the rotation. Alongside him, Niccolò Pisilli has become a consolidated certainty in midfield, combining consistent performances with a nose for goals. According to Il Tempo, the Olimpico clash was also the night of breakthrough for Rodrigo Mora. The 19-year-old Portuguese, who was initially greeted with scepticism over his market valuation, unlocked the match by scoring his first goal in front of the Roma crowd. Gasperini himself praised the young Portuguese's technical qualities after the game, stressing that his imagination is a fundamental factor for the season. The young group is completed by the gradual integration of players such as Koulierakis and Castro, who are asked to provide valid alternatives in a squad that blends the freshness of the youth ranks with the maturity of the senior players. For Gasperini's Roma, young players are no longer just a future prospect but a solid reality capable of making the difference.

Roma travel to Udinese on Saturday at 18:00 at the Bluenergy Stadium in Serie A's tenth round, four days after beating Cagliari at home. Gasperini will again be without first-choice trio Svilar, Koné and Dybala, but can count on Malen, who already has 10 goals this season, and Matías Soulé, who is in outstanding form. On the other side, the spotlight falls on former Roma player Nicolò Zaniolo, the hero of the club's Conference League triumph, who left the capital amid controversy. Zaniolo remains one of the most unpredictable players in the Udinese side. He can operate behind the striker or start wider before cutting inside on his left foot, relying on his power in carries and his ability to hold off defenders physically. In this early Serie A campaign he has made 4 appearances, 3 of them starts, totalling 245 minutes, without yet scoring or assisting. His attacking numbers have stalled, partly because of an injury that affected him in recent weeks, but he is still one of the players Udinese rely on to create superiority and spark their attacks in the final thirty metres. Against Roma he will look to exploit the transitions and the spaces left by Gasperini's high defensive line. Soulé, by contrast, has enjoyed greater consistency and impact and has become one of the pillars of the Roma side, even more so with Dybala absent. The Argentine usually starts on the right before cutting inside onto his left foot, but within Gasperini's system he has the freedom to move between the lines, drop into midfield and link up with the other forwards. His start to the campaign has been very positive: 9 appearances, 6 starts, 594 minutes played, 3 goals and 1 assist, making him one of the team's most productive players with 4 direct goal involvements in Serie A. He combines dribbling quality, creative passing and a threat in front of goal, as shown by the goal he scored in the recent 3-3 draw at Napoli. The article also highlights his strong mental development this season, with his confidence and leadership increasingly evident.

Roma travel to Udinese on Saturday at 20:45 in the tenth round of Serie A, at the Bluenergy Stadium, four days after beating Cagliari at home. Gasperini's side must again do without starters Svilar, Koné and Dybala, but can count on Malen, who already has 10 goals this season, and an Soulé in outstanding form. On the other side, the spotlight falls on Nicolò Zaniolo, the hero of Roma's Conference League triumph who left the capital amid controversy. Zaniolo remains one of Udinese's most unpredictable players, combining physicality, ball carrying and an ability to attack the box. The former Roma midfielder can operate behind the striker or start wider before cutting inside on his left foot, relying above all on the power of his runs and his ability to withstand physical contact with defenders. This early Serie A campaign has seen him make 4 appearances, 3 of them as a starter, for a total of 245 minutes, without a goal or an assist so far. His attacking numbers remain flat, partly because of an injury that affected him in recent weeks, but he is still one of the players Udinese rely on to create overloads and to spark their play in the final thirty metres. Against Roma he is expected to try to exploit the transitions and the spaces left by Gasperini's high defensive line. Soulé, by contrast, has shown more consistency and greater incisiveness, and has become one of the pillars of Roma's attack, even more so with Dybala absent. The Argentine often starts from the right before cutting inside onto his left foot, but within Gasperini's system he has the freedom to move between the lines, drop into midfield and combine with the other forwards. His start to the league season has been very positive: 9 appearances, 6 as a starter, 594 minutes played, 3 goals and 1 assist. Those numbers place him among the most productive players in the squad, with 4 direct goal contributions in Serie A. He combines quality in dribbling, a good final pass and danger in front of goal, as shown by the goal he scored in the recent 3-3 draw at Napoli. His growth in mentality in this first part of the season has also stood out, with a sense of security and leadership that is increasingly evident.

Roma travel to the Bluenergy Stadium to face Udinese on Saturday 31 October at 18:00 in Serie A matchday 10, just days after a 4-2 win over Cagliari at the Stadio Olimpico. It is Roma's fourth match in a few days, and Gian Piero Gasperini must manage a number of absences while the fixture list stays tight. Udinese, coached by Kosta Runjaic, are coming off a 0-0 draw at Parma. Gasperini may rotate several players again. Gollini is set to keep his place in goal, while Svilar has not been cleared to return early and will only come back after the international break, after the medical staff chose not to rush his recovery from a foot problem. Hermoso remains one of the main candidates to start from the first minute. Mancini, who did not look at his best against Cagliari, could make way for Ghilardi, and the battle between N'Dicka and Balerdi is still open, with Balerdi gaining ground after scoring a brace against Napoli. Wesley should return to the starting line-up on the left, while Lulli and Molina are competing for the right-back spot. Lulli, born in 2007, came off a strong performance against Cagliari, which ended with a goal and an assist. Cristante is expected to keep his place in midfield, with De Roon and Pisilli in contention to partner him, and Pisilli could also be deployed a few metres further forward. Soulé remains a fixed starter, while Mora is set to play slightly ahead to complete the line behind Malen. Pisilli is also an option to add intensity and runs into the box. Udinese are expected to line up in a 3-4-2-1. Okoye, who saved a penalty against Parma, is in goal, with Palma, Kabasele and Abankwah in defence. Kamara and Bertola are set for the wing-back roles, and Karlstrom should partner Chakvetadze in midfield. In the number 10 role is former Roma player Zaniolo, who has recovered from injury and is a candidate to start alongside Ekkelenkamp behind Davis. Karlstrom is suspended after a caution. Udinese are without Solet, Zanoli, Bayo, Gueye and Alaba. Roma are also missing several important players. Svilar will miss the match after recent foot checks, and Paulo Dybala has not yet recovered fully from his injury, with his return being managed more cautiously than initially expected. The aim is to have him back for Roma's next Champions League trip against Manchester United. Manu Koné remains unavailable, and Lorenzo Pellegrini continues his recovery from a serious muscle problem. Roma have no players suspended or doubtful for the match. The historical record leans towards Roma overall, but Udinese won the last meeting at the Bluenergy Stadium, beating them 1-0 on 2 February 2026. In the first leg of that same season, Roma won 2-0 at the Olimpico. Across the last five Serie A meetings, Roma have won four and Udinese one. The match will be broadcast live on DAZN. Official line-ups will be confirmed about an hour before kickoff.