De Roon ready to step up as Gasperini backs midfielder

Matías Soulé and Santiago Castro made their official Argentina debuts in a 7–0 victory over Burkina Faso, with Leonardo Balerdi also featuring for the Albiceleste. All three Roma players came off the bench in the second half: Soulé and Balerdi were substituted on at the 46th minute when Argentina already led 5–0, while Castro replaced Lautaro Martínez at the 69th minute. The goals came from Lautaro Martínez (two), Prestianni, Nico Paz, Julián Álvarez, Mastantuono and Giuliano Simeone. For Castro, the Roma number 9, the appearance held particular significance as his first senior international cap. He marked the occasion with a post on Instagram celebrating the milestone, writing: "There are moments that stay with you forever, and today I had the chance to live one. Wearing this shirt for the first time and representing my country is a pride difficult to explain. Thank you to everyone who accompanied me on this journey. As a child I dreamed of this moment, and today I can say it came true. An unforgettable day. May it be the first of many." For Soulé, the appearance was equally momentous—a first senior call-up and debut for Argentina after joining Roma in summer 2024. Balerdi, who arrived at the club in the same window, continues to develop his international presence alongside his club commitments.

Matías Soulé and Santiago Castro made their senior Argentina debuts in a commanding 7-0 victory over Burkina Faso at the Monumental, with Leonardo Balerdi also featuring in the second half. Argentina had already settled the contest by half-time, leading 5-0. Lautaro Martínez, Gianluca Prestianni, Nico Paz, Julián Álvarez, Franco Mastantuono and Giuliano Simeone scored, along with an own goal from Moumouni Diallo. Coach Lionel Scaloni used the second period to rotate his squad. Soulé and Balerdi entered immediately after the interval, while Castro came on in place of Lautaro Martínez in the 69th minute. Soulé played 45 minutes in his debut, Castro featured for just over 20 minutes and struck the woodwork late in the match, while Balerdi completed the full second half in a fixture where Argentina's defence faced minimal pressure. Burkina Faso fielded a largely Under-23 side following logistical chaos that engulfed their senior team. A charter flight organised from Morocco suffered a technical fault, forcing the federation to arrange their youth squad's late replacement. The African delegation arrived in Buenos Aires just five hours before kick-off after nearly 12 hours of travel. For Roma, the significance lies in Soulé and Castro's successful debuts with the Selección, and Balerdi adding a further 45 minutes at national team level. Argentina's next match will be against Benin, an occasion marking Lionel Messi's farewell to international football.

Gian Piero Gasperini is already planning Roma's January window despite the club sitting top of the table with a functioning attack led by Dybala and Malen. Between appearances at the Trento Festival and work at Trigoria, Roma are targeting reinforcements in the attacking department, focusing on players currently struggling for minutes at their clubs. A conversation between CEO Galantic and Gasperini at the festival underscores Roma's philosophy of planning winter moves in advance. Roma's priority remains a quality wide forward, with evaluation also ongoing into a more complete profile like Oosterwolde. Four players already tracked in the summer transfer window remain in the club's sights: Gittens, Leweling, Luiz Henrique and Endrick. The common thread linking them is a shortage of regular playing time. Gittens, a Gasperini favourite, has yet to debut in the Premier League. Leweling plays only sporadic minutes at Stuttgart and was excluded from the initial squad list under new national team coach Klopp. Luiz Henrique remains blocked in Russia by bureaucratic issues that have also cost him national team call-ups. Endrick's situation is the most delicate. Mourinho secured him at Real Madrid over the summer, but the Brazilian has virtually disappeared: just four minutes across La Liga and the Champions League combined. That picture of underuse could shift as soon as November, when UEFA will make decisions on the Settlement Agreement, opening new scenarios potentially favourable to Roma heading into the winter market.

Roma return to action after the international break with two crucial fixtures ahead: a Serie A visit to Como on Sunday 11 October at 12:30, followed by a Champions League match against Real Madrid. Marten de Roon is poised to seize a starting role in midfield after Bryan Cristante sustained a collateral ligament injury that will sideline him for approximately twenty days. The Dutch midfielder, who has joined Roma after several years at Bergamo, has impressed since his arrival and adapted well to the club's training environment at Trigoria. With Cristante sidelined, Gasperini's midfield setup has opened up significant space that de Roon is well-positioned to fill. The 33-year-old midfielder carries the tactical knowledge and versatility that suits the coach's system, making him a strong candidate for a starting berth in what will be a demanding double test across the domestic league and Europe's elite competition. Training resumes on Tuesday afternoon following a weekend rest period given to the squad after Friday's session. Gasperini will hold his pre-match press conference on Saturday before Roma's departure for Lombardy. The Real Madrid encounter follows immediately after the Como fixture, bringing the intensity of back-to-back high-stakes matches in rapid succession.

Marten de Roon is using the international break to build his physical condition ahead of the Como match, with Bryan Cristante sidelined and likely to miss the Real Madrid fixture. The Dutch midfielder, who alongside Niccolò Pisilli makes up Roma's quartet of specialist central midfielders, has a significant opportunity to impress both on the pitch and with supporters, who gave him a cool reception owing to his history as an Atalanta mainstay. De Roon has been training and sharing his progress on social media with his family. He wrote: "I am gradually getting used to life in Rome", alongside the she-wolf emoji and the giallorossi colours. The arrival comes as Roma prepare for two particularly important fixtures in the coming period, presenting the midfielder with a chance to win over the fanbase and establish himself in Gasperini's plans.

Radio pundit Piero Torri has voiced concern that Bryan Cristante's injury could be more serious than initially thought, and has outlined how he would approach Roma's upcoming fixtures if the midfielder is unavailable. Speaking on Radio Manà Manà Sport Roma (90.9), Torri said: "I'm afraid Cristante's injury may not be a short one. If he's not fit, I wouldn't risk trying to get him back for Real Madrid. I would play de Roon at Como and Pisilli against Real Madrid." Torri also reflected on head coach Gian Piero Gasperini's handling of Paulo Dybala's minutes, saying the manager's approach has shifted his perspective. "What Gasperini said about Dybala struck me—it erased my previous beliefs about his playing time and management. And so far he's been proved right," Torri noted. He suggested Roma should begin discussions about Gasperini's contract intentions, given that the coach's deal will expire at the end of the season. Former Roma striker Roberto Pruzzo, speaking on Radio Radio Mattino (104.5), praised goalkeeper Mile Svilar's importance to the team: "Svilar is a world-class goalkeeper for Roma, I have no doubt about it. If there's a normal goalkeeper, it's easy to lose 3–1. But with him it's different."

Roma return to action after the international break with two crucial fixtures ahead: a Serie A visit to Como on Sunday 11 October at 12:30, followed by a Champions League match against Real Madrid. Marten de Roon is poised to seize a starting role in midfield after Bryan Cristante sustained a collateral ligament injury that will sideline him for approximately twenty days. The Dutch midfielder, who has joined Roma after several years at Bergamo, has impressed since his arrival and adapted well to the club's training environment at Trigoria. With Cristante sidelined, Gasperini's midfield setup has opened up significant space that de Roon is well-positioned to fill. The 33-year-old midfielder carries the tactical knowledge and versatility that suits the coach's system, making him a strong candidate for a starting berth in what will be a demanding double test across the domestic league and Europe's elite competition. Training resumes on Tuesday afternoon following a weekend rest period given to the squad after Friday's session. Gasperini will hold his pre-match press conference on Saturday before Roma's departure for Lombardy. The Real Madrid encounter follows immediately after the Como fixture, bringing the intensity of back-to-back high-stakes matches in rapid succession.

Marten de Roon is using the international break to build his physical condition ahead of the Como match, with Bryan Cristante sidelined and likely to miss the Real Madrid fixture. The Dutch midfielder, who alongside Niccolò Pisilli makes up Roma's quartet of specialist central midfielders, has a significant opportunity to impress both on the pitch and with supporters, who gave him a cool reception owing to his history as an Atalanta mainstay. De Roon has been training and sharing his progress on social media with his family. He wrote: "I am gradually getting used to life in Rome", alongside the she-wolf emoji and the giallorossi colours. The arrival comes as Roma prepare for two particularly important fixtures in the coming period, presenting the midfielder with a chance to win over the fanbase and establish himself in Gasperini's plans.

Radio pundit Piero Torri has voiced concern that Bryan Cristante's injury could be more serious than initially thought, and has outlined how he would approach Roma's upcoming fixtures if the midfielder is unavailable. Speaking on Radio Manà Manà Sport Roma (90.9), Torri said: "I'm afraid Cristante's injury may not be a short one. If he's not fit, I wouldn't risk trying to get him back for Real Madrid. I would play de Roon at Como and Pisilli against Real Madrid." Torri also reflected on head coach Gian Piero Gasperini's handling of Paulo Dybala's minutes, saying the manager's approach has shifted his perspective. "What Gasperini said about Dybala struck me—it erased my previous beliefs about his playing time and management. And so far he's been proved right," Torri noted. He suggested Roma should begin discussions about Gasperini's contract intentions, given that the coach's deal will expire at the end of the season. Former Roma striker Roberto Pruzzo, speaking on Radio Radio Mattino (104.5), praised goalkeeper Mile Svilar's importance to the team: "Svilar is a world-class goalkeeper for Roma, I have no doubt about it. If there's a normal goalkeeper, it's easy to lose 3–1. But with him it's different."

AS Roma are pursuing an ambitious long-term strategy centred on youth development, a dedicated Under-23 squad and construction of a new stadium at Pietralata, with an investment of €1.3 billion backing the project in preparation for the club's centenary. Chief Executive Officer John Galantic, who began his tenure at the club's training camp in Wales working closely with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, outlined the vision in a statement reviewed by La Gazzetta dello Sport. Galantic praised the commitment of owners Dan and Ryan Friedkin, saying they are "very reserved, but invest time and resources with total dedication, convinced they can bring Roma to win something important." The strategy moves beyond a reliance on profit from player sales, instead focusing on nurturing talent developed at Trigoria, notably Emanuele Lulli and Niccolò Pisilli. The club has implemented three key measures: restructuring the youth academy with specialist figures including D'Amico and Margiotta; establishing an Under-23 team to ease the transition to senior football; and leveraging a partnership with Cannes to identify promising young players. The new Pietralata stadium represents the centrepiece of the transformation, marking the furthest-advanced stadium project after years of failed attempts. The ground-breaking ceremony is scheduled for March 2027. Designed with supporters at the forefront—including an enhanced and more cohesive Curva Sud—the stadium will generate significantly higher revenue, enabling Roma to achieve a substantial sporting and economic step forward ahead of the centenary.

Marten de Roon is using the international break to build his physical condition ahead of the Como match, with Bryan Cristante sidelined and likely to miss the Real Madrid fixture. The Dutch midfielder, who alongside Niccolò Pisilli makes up Roma's quartet of specialist central midfielders, has a significant opportunity to impress both on the pitch and with supporters, who gave him a cool reception owing to his history as an Atalanta mainstay. De Roon has been training and sharing his progress on social media with his family. He wrote: "I am gradually getting used to life in Rome", alongside the she-wolf emoji and the giallorossi colours. The arrival comes as Roma prepare for two particularly important fixtures in the coming period, presenting the midfielder with a chance to win over the fanbase and establish himself in Gasperini's plans.

Radio pundit Piero Torri has voiced concern that Bryan Cristante's injury could be more serious than initially thought, and has outlined how he would approach Roma's upcoming fixtures if the midfielder is unavailable. Speaking on Radio Manà Manà Sport Roma (90.9), Torri said: "I'm afraid Cristante's injury may not be a short one. If he's not fit, I wouldn't risk trying to get him back for Real Madrid. I would play de Roon at Como and Pisilli against Real Madrid." Torri also reflected on head coach Gian Piero Gasperini's handling of Paulo Dybala's minutes, saying the manager's approach has shifted his perspective. "What Gasperini said about Dybala struck me—it erased my previous beliefs about his playing time and management. And so far he's been proved right," Torri noted. He suggested Roma should begin discussions about Gasperini's contract intentions, given that the coach's deal will expire at the end of the season. Former Roma striker Roberto Pruzzo, speaking on Radio Radio Mattino (104.5), praised goalkeeper Mile Svilar's importance to the team: "Svilar is a world-class goalkeeper for Roma, I have no doubt about it. If there's a normal goalkeeper, it's easy to lose 3–1. But with him it's different."