De Roon explains why Roma followed Gasperini from Atalanta

Torino have found their first Serie A win of the season with a comeback victory at Fiorentina, overturning a deficit through goals from Mandragora and Ché Adams, but the performance reveals a squad still searching for stability under coach Ignazio Abate. After defeats to Milan and Sassuolo and elimination from the Coppa Italia by Monza, the Torino manager has experimented with multiple formations—starting with a 3-4-2-1 before shifting into 3-5-1-1 or 3-5-2 in recent weeks. The underlying picture is of a side that concedes heavily but becomes far more dangerous when defensive shape breaks down and space opens up. The statistics underline the instability. Across the first three matches, Torino registered 25 shots while allowing 52. Even in the Fiorentina win, despite controlling over 60% of possession, they managed only seven shots to Fiorentina's fourteen. More striking is the timing of goals: seven of the nine scored or conceded by Torino in the opening three games came in the second half. Against Milan the score remained 0-0 until the 64th minute; against Fiorentina all three goals arrived after the interval. This second-half pattern points to both Torino's strength and weakness: they exploit wider running, loose balls and the variety of their forward options more effectively as spaces expand, but simultaneously expose themselves to rapid counter-attacks into the final third. Abate's attacking resources offer genuine threat. Cacciamani on the left breaks equilibrium through aggressive man-marking and width; Vlašić connects midfield and attack; Mandragora brings quality, experience and long-range threat. In the Fiorentina match, Abate shifted the shape to 4-3-1-2 midway through, inserting Simeone alongside Adams to add offensive weight and presence—the move directly preceded the completion of the comeback. Adams, though unavailable for tomorrow, moves freely, links play and has already scored twice in the league. Simeone provides penetration and box aggression; Zapata represents a physical alternative. Roma's counter-threat lies in pressing Torino's early passes—where they build from the back—to generate recoveries in dangerous areas, and in exploiting the gaps left at the flanks of Torino's three defenders when their full-backs advance. The warning for Roma is that Torino have already demonstrated they can transform matches mid-contest, adding a forward and converting a controlled, static contest into a vertical, physical affair. The squad's true strength at this stage of the season is not consistent play but capacity to survive difficulty and ignite suddenly.

Alessandro Romano has been sold to Cagliari for €5 million plus bonuses potentially rising to €6.5 million, but the move has reignited debate about Roma's pattern of disposing of young talent at underdeveloped stages. Signed from Winterthur in 2022 for approximately €70,000, Romano had been viewed at Trigoria as a prospect with significant potential and was developed into a Serie A-standard midfielder within a few years. From a financial standpoint, the transaction is defensible: the enormous profit relative to the initial outlay is straightforward. The deeper question, however, is whether Roma will later regret the sale. The club is not alone in facing pressure to generate revenue from youth players—academies exist partly to produce economic value, and no organization can retain all its talents indefinitely while waiting to identify which ones will flourish. Roma's position has been complicated by UEFA settlement agreement obligations in recent years, making the academy a significant revenue source; since 2022, youth departures have generated tens of millions. Yet a pattern has emerged. Davide Frattesi developed into an internationally competitive midfielder away from Rome; Riccardo Calafiori represents probably Roma's greatest regret. Romano's career trajectory will determine whether Roma sold him at the right moment or too early. The concern is not that he is currently ready to displace Manu Koné or Bryan Cristante, but that a talent still developing is precisely the type a club should attempt to maintain some form of control over when possible. The issue becomes more acute when considering Emanuele Lulli, who came close to joining Avellino during the summer in a deal that could have included a loan with an option to buy. The principle remains constant: when market conditions force a club to seek resources, young players become one of the easiest paths. Romano was sold in a summer when Roma needed to generate plusvalenzas and protect players deemed central to the first team. Romano will reveal through his career whether Roma timed the sale correctly or sold too soon. The lesson from Frattesi and Calafiori should be clear: while some young talent will inevitably escape, when Trigoria develops a player with something extra, maintaining some link to his future may ultimately be worth far more than immediate profit.

After three league matches and nine points, Roma face their first genuine fixture congestion on the back of Champions League action midweek. Gian Piero Gasperini must now navigate his first serious turnover decision, with Manu Koné sidelined by a knee problem, Paulo Dybala cramping through the closing stages, and Gianluca Mancini appearing fatigued before his substitution. The manager faces a delicate balance: rotation has become unavoidable, but wholesale change could disrupt the coordinated pressing, tight spacing, immediate aggression after possession loss, and attacking patterns that have been central to Roma's bright start. Gasperini has built Roma's perfect opening around a squad that has rapidly learned to recognise itself. Making too many changes at once risks undermining those automatisms. Yet selective intervention is inevitable. Without Koné, Niccolò Pisilli appears the natural solution alongside Bryan Cristante; deploying Marten de Roon, though he has the deepest familiarity with Gasperini, would require him to build understanding with new teammates. In attack, resting Dybala makes sense, with Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora able to provide freshness behind Donyell Malen without overturning the offensive identity. Mancini also warrants consideration—he appeared below his usual standard in Istanbul, while Leonardo Balerdi brought aggression and intensity after entering the pitch. The real test lies in the principle Gasperini must master: having no untouchable starting eleven, yet changing three or four players without the football itself changing. Roma arrive at Torino with a perfect record and, more valuably than nine points, a recognisable shape. Three or four changes can regenerate; seven or eight risk creating a different team entirely. The paradox would be protecting energy by sacrificing the very continuity that has made the season's start so strong. For the first time, Gasperini must genuinely manage the squad rather than simply select the strongest team. That quality—doing turnover so well it barely shows—will define whether Roma can sustain their level across multiple competitions.

Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen are set to start in Roma's match against Torino, with uncertainty centring on the attacking midfield role. Niccolò Pisilli may begin the game, though Rodrigo Mora is also in contention. Manu Koné has recovered from his previous issues and is available for selection. Gasperini continues to manage squad dynamics ahead of the fixture. The coach has dismissed talk of a strict hierarchy among his attacking players, insisting that Dybala is in good form and cannot be left out. He has also defended midfielder Marten de Roon against criticism, rejecting the suggestion that the player's form has deteriorated.

Roma return to Serie A action tomorrow at 18:30 away to Torino, seeking to build on their opening Champions League draw. The Giallorossi drew 1–1 at Fenerbahce on their European debut and now face Ignazio Abate's Torino, who recently won a comeback victory over Fiorentina. A win at the Olimpico Grande Torino would leave Roma on maximum points after four matches, with a match against Inter scheduled five days later. Gian Piero Gasperini will address the press at 13:30 on Tuesday from Trigoria. Gasperini confirmed that Lorenzo Pellegrini is fit and available for selection. The squad list also includes Manu Koné, who completed a fitness test during the day, Wesley following a knee knock, and Emanuele Lulli after a bout of fever. In his pre-match conference, Gasperini spoke warmly of recent performances, particularly Donyell Malen's impact since arriving. On Rodrigo Mora's integration into the attack, Gasperini said: "I see what you all see—he is a talented, young player, and that is not considered. He must improve physically and tactically. What he has shown is a young player of talent and level. There is not a younger player who can be more of a protagonist at this moment." When asked whether defensive hierarchy could shift, Gasperini pushed back strongly: "Please stop with this hierarchy talk, it is not right towards these players. It makes no sense for them, it has no effect for the squad. Everyone is giving an important contribution. Balerdi did remarkable things at Marseille, we have to play a lot. A team in the Champions League does not work with hierarchies, but there are many starters who play without promoting one and rejecting another, otherwise it becomes something controversial." The full squad for Torino includes defenders Devyne Rensch, Konstantinos Koulierakis, Evan N'Dicka, Nahuel Molina, Mario Hermoso, Gianluca Mancini, Leonardo Balerdi, Wesley, Emanuele Lulli and Daniele Ghilardi; midfielders Bryan Cristante, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Marten de Roon, Manu Koné, Niccolò Pisilli and Rodrigo Mora; forwards Santiago Castro, Donyell Malen, Matías Soulé and Paulo Dybala.

Gian Piero Gasperini has named his squad for Roma's away match against Torino, with two significant updates: Lorenzo Pellegrini returns for the first call of the season, and Manu Koné is available after recovering from a knee problem sustained against Fenerbahce. Pellegrini's inclusion marks his first involvement in the 2026-27 campaign. Koné had been sidelined by the injury but is now fit to feature. The squad encompasses the full depth of Gasperini's defence, midfield and attack options for the fixture. Gasperini's full squad list reads as follows: Goalkeepers: Svilar, De Marzi, Gollini. Defenders: Rensch, Koulierakis, N'Dicka, Molina, Hermoso, Mancini, Balerdi, Wesley, Lulli, Ghilardi. Midfielders: Cristante, Pellegrini, De Roon, Koné, Pisilli, Mora. Forwards: Castro, Malen, Soulé, Dybala.