Chivu's injury concerns: Çalhanoğlu and Stones doubtful for Roma clash

Roma's evolution under coach Gian Piero Gasperini has taken shape across two decisive fixtures—the Champions League debut against Fenerbahce in Istanbul on Thursday and a four-day-later trip to Turin against Torino—that showcase the impact of the summer transfer market overhaul steered by new sporting director D'Amico. In the first match, Roma's return to Europe's elite competition after a seven-year absence saw Gasperini field performers who had earned third place in Serie A. Against Torino, however, two summer signings started, with three more introduced during play as Roma secured a fourth consecutive league win. Despite missing three key players—Evan N'Dicka, Wesley, and Manu Koné—Roma maintained tactical identity and attacking threat at Turin, underlining how the summer reinforcements have strengthened the squad's reliability compared to the previous season. The shift in personnel tells the story plainly. A year ago, Gasperini would have replaced N'Dicka and Wesley with Kostas Tsimikas and Jan Ziółkowski; neither remains at Trigoria. Manu Koné's role would have gone to Neil El Aynaoui, who has been moved on after one season, as have Tsimikas and Ziółkowski. In their place came Leonardo Balerdi and Nahuel Molina, both Argentine internationals—Balerdi absent from last year's World Cup only through injury, Molina a Qatar winner alongside Paulo Dybala and recently a World Cup runner-up. Niccolò Pisilli, grown into his role at the start of 2026 and a national team player, has inherited Koné's midfield spot. Gasperini paired Balerdi immediately with Marten de Roon, who arrived from Bergamo in the final moments of the window and played more than half the second half against Torino. Lorenzo Pellegrini, called up after five months out, extended Gasperini's roster of captains—the coach has made clear he possesses multiple leaders beyond Bryan Cristante and Gianluca Mancini. Gasperini operates what he calls the "law of sixteen," seeking to deploy the same core of players in every match to guarantee brilliance, intensity and competitive edge. He refuses publicly to divide his squad into starters and substitutes; there is no difference between a player who begins and one who enters in progress. New sporting director D'Amico's tenure has produced a squad numerically smaller than its predecessor, as D'Amico himself acknowledged, yet Gasperini presented it at full strength in Turin. The article notes that one or two adjustments in January may be needed to perfect the squad further.

Roma secured three points at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino, with Donyell Malen again proving decisive by scoring the opening goal—his sixth of the Serie A season—before being replaced shortly before the hour by Santiago Castro. The Argentine striker entered with his customary intensity but made less of an impact than in previous appearances. In his post-match analysis for DAZN, Cristian Brocchi drew a striking parallel between Castro and Lautaro Martinez during his early years at Inter, when he competed for playing time alongside Mauro Icardi. Brocchi highlighted the similarities between the Malen–Castro pairing and the 2018–19 Inter front line featuring Icardi and Lautaro. The former midfielder said: "I see that player in him. He has many qualities, even if he still needs to improve in many aspects, just like that young Lautaro who arrived at Inter and nobody expected could become the player he is today." He added: "Santiago is like that and can give a lot to Roma. Malen is impressive, but Roma will play many matches and will also need Castro and his character." Brocchi was drawing on Lautaro's own trajectory: in his first Serie A season in the Inter shirt, the Argentine—then 21, Castro's current age—managed only 9 goals despite Icardi's dominant form in a campaign that yielded 29 goals in 34 appearances for the senior striker. Lautaro's breakthrough came the following season when he finished with 21 goals.

Roma's perfect start to the 2026–27 season—four wins from four matches, twelve points from twelve—mirrors an uncanny parallel from twelve years ago. The club's last identical opening came in 2014–15 under Rudi Garcia, who was also in his second season at the helm after guiding Roma back to the Champions League. Like Garcia then, Gian Piero Gasperini opened his second campaign as Roma boss with a home win against Fiorentina. The 2014 scoreline was 2–0 with goals from Nainggolan and Gervinho; this time Roma won 4–0, with Donyell Malen scoring a hat-trick and Niccolò Pisilli adding the fourth. Garcia's Roma went on to win their first five league matches, scoring nine goals and conceding just one. Gasperini's side has already registered twelve goals scored and one conceded after four games, continuing a streak of commanding physical form that allows Roma to sustain an exceptionally high tempo. The parallel deepens with Saturday's fixture against Inter at the Olimpico. Both Roma and Inter arrive unbeaten with twelve points from twelve—a scenario that echoes the Juventus-Roma clash of 5 October 2014, when both teams came to Turin on identical records. Gasperini has described Inter as "the reference team of our league". The 2014 encounter left a profound mark. Radja Nainggolan recalled: "That defeat took our energy and caused us a psychological setback. That evening we understood that we would never be able to win the Scudetto". Roma lost that match 3–2 in controversial circumstances involving referee Gianluca Rocchi. Gasperini is acutely aware of the history. He has won only five of his 36 career meetings with Inter, alongside nine draws and 22 defeats. More pressingly, he has not beaten them in 17 consecutive matches; his last victory came on 11 November 2018 when his Atalanta side won 4–1. Roma's own record at the Olimpico against Inter offers no comfort—their last home victory against the Nerazzurri dates to 2 October 2016. Gasperini told reporters: "Last year there was a difference: on the return we took a heavy defeat, but from there the real Roma was born. There was an escalation, not just in results but also in attitudes, behaviour and mentality. It is also an opportunity for us to measure ourselves and do better than in recent matches." Saturday's encounter will not decide the season, but it represents Roma's first genuine test against a team of a superior tier. The Olimpico is expected to be a cauldron of noise. Gasperini wants to understand how much his Roma have closed the gap to the Nerazzurri since last season's return fixture, when Inter inflicted a heavy defeat on the Giallorossi.