Dybala and Soulé: Diverging paths as Emery circles Matías

Manu Koné has not been named in France's squad for their matches against Italy and Turkey, meaning the midfielder will continue his recovery from injury rather than join up with Les Bleus. Rodrigo Mora has been recalled to the Portugal squad by Jorge Jesus for the games against Denmark and Wales. For the 2007-born player, it is a return to the senior national team after more than a year, although he is still waiting for his debut. Donyell Malen has been selected by the Netherlands for the matches against Greece and Germany, while Konstantinos Koulierakis will answer Greece's call-up to face the Netherlands and Serbia. On the transfer front, Roma continue to evaluate possible reinforcements for the attack ahead of the January window. Among the profiles being monitored by the Giallorossi management is English winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, currently at Chelsea. The London club would be willing to loan him out in the next transfer window, with Roma at the front of the queue should they open talks. Competition is strong, however: Leeds, Sunderland and Crystal Palace in the Premier League, as well as Leipzig and Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany, are also reportedly tracking the player. Ahead of the clash with Roma, Sassuolo boss Alberto Aquilani has called on his side to show character to escape their difficult run. For Aquilani, a former Roma midfielder, it will be a special match: "As a coach it is the first time I enter that stadium, and nobody can take that away from me. I have to set aside the emotions." On his team's form, Aquilani stressed the need to limit mistakes and increase intensity: "We have to run a bit more than the opponents, win the tackles and go for the second balls." Finally, his message to his players: "100% might not be enough, but we have to give 100% and more because we have dignity." Radio Bruno commentator Pedrelli said: "Leaving behind the defeat at Old Trafford and focusing on bringing home a full result against a Sassuolo in serious crisis is the primary goal. It will be a crucial day in the league, especially given Inter v Como and Napoli v Lazio. It would be wonderful to start talking about an anti-Roma in this Serie A." Radio Radio pundit Pruzzo said: "After Manchester we must restart immediately. Sassuolo have conceded ten goals in their last two matches. What is worrying is that they show no signs, they do not react. This allows Roma to manage the match and try to create danger up front. Malen occasionally has lapses, and Castro never plays: we'll see if this time there will be space for him."

Gian Piero Gasperini reportedly chose encouragement over a dressing-room rebuke after Roma's 3-2 defeat to Manchester United, according to Andrea Pugliese. Rather than criticising his players, the coach reportedly highlighted what had gone well in the first half, telling his squad in the dressing room: "We dominated." The message was aimed at protecting the group's confidence after Roma conceded their second Champions League comeback. Manu Koné has been left out of France's squad by Zinedine Zidane for the matches against Italy and Turkey. The decision is linked to his physical condition, allowing Roma to manage his recovery without pressure. His availability for the Sassuolo match remains in serious doubt, although Gasperini could still name him on the bench. Meanwhile, Rodrigo Mora has earned a call-up to the senior Portugal squad under Jorge Jesus. The 19-year-old has scored three goals in eight Serie A appearances and provided two assists in the Champions League, a reward for his progress at Roma and his performance against Manchester United. According to TEAMtalk, Chelsea are now prepared to consider a temporary transfer for Gittens, having rejected Roma's earlier proposal. Roma had also pursued the English winger during the summer. D'Amico is looking for a quick winger capable of beating his man, and competition for the 2004-born player remains strong. Sassuolo are without two key players. Alberto Aquilani will be missing Berardi, his main attacking reference, and Volpato, the former Roma player, who will miss the return to the Olimpico, both through injury. Sassuolo arrive on a run of four consecutive defeats and have conceded 16 goals. Aquilani, returning to the Olimpico as a coach in a difficult moment, admitted his side's difficulties at his press conference and called for an immediate response. Gollini is still struggling with the back problem that ruled him out before the Manchester trip. Roma's medical staff at Trigoria are evaluating injections as a way to get him back, but the most likely option is that Devis Vásquez starts. Mile Svilar will not return until after the international break.

Antonio Nusa is once again being linked with Roma, but the path to the Leipzig winger remains steep. The 2005-born player is one of the profiles that Tony D'Amico, Roma's sporting director, has valued to strengthen Gian Piero Gasperini's attack in January, yet the latest indications from Fabrizio Romano have significantly cooled the lead. Speaking on his YouTube channel, the transfer expert explained that there was never a real negotiation between Roma and Leipzig over the summer. The Giallorossi had shown their interest in Nusa, but the German club immediately closed the door on any sale. The main obstacle is financial. Leipzig value the player at more than 50 million euros, a sum that is hard to sustain not only for Roma but for most Italian clubs, especially in the winter window. Without a dramatic opening from the Germans, a move in January looks unrealistic. Roma will continue to look for an attacking winger capable of offering pace, dribbling and quality in one-on-one situations, a reinforcement Gasperini had already requested during the summer. Nusa remains a player held in high regard, but his name seems destined to stay more of a dream than a realistic option. D'Amico will need to look at other solutions, possibly through more affordable formulas.

Roma face another league fixture tomorrow evening, a win that could put them within one step of the top of Serie A depending on other results and would send the giallorossi into the international break with more confidence after their comeback in Manchester. Gasperini will have three key players fully available during the break: Svilar, Koné and Dybala. Pellegrini, however, will remain sidelined for a long period. In recent matches, the three-man combination of Malen, Soulé and Mora has produced positive results. Malen has continued to score regularly, Soulé has become increasingly central to the attacking build-up, and Mora has found his form, registering a goal or an assist in every recent match in which he has been actively involved. The real problem, however, is the lack of depth. Reserves are currently missing, partly through injury and partly through structural shortcomings that have been flagged repeatedly since late August. For this reason the club is actively searching for the right signings to give the coach in the transfer window, which in this case must also strengthen the attacking department. The situation resembles last year, when the primary aim was to find a couple of attacking players. Four arrived in the end: Malen, Venturino, Vaz and Zaragoza, with only one, the Dutchman, proving decisive. Gasperini is strongly focused on Endrick. The Brazilian was the chosen target last summer, but after a near move to Ciampino, Mourinho's ill-timed intervention stopped the deal. So far Endrick has performed well, and very well only at the end of the match against Roma, which is an irony of fate, but he continues to find limited playing time. He is left-footed, and combines excellent basic technique with accelerations that would be very useful to Roma even when a match is already underway. Imagine Endrick in place of Mora in the second half in Manchester. Maguire and his teammates would have had reservations about pushing forward, as happened especially after the cruel penalty awarded by Manzano. Endrick is part of Roma's plans and is the primary target, but it is not enough. Gasperini would like to complete the department with two players: the Brazilian plus another number ten, second striker or attacking player who is right-footed and physically well built. Gittens is mentioned, out of favour at Chelsea, and above all Kvernadze, who for his age and wage would fit perfectly into the sustainability path set at Trigoria in recent months. Numerically, Pellegrini's serious setback and the new problems for Dybala could push the club and coaching staff to reflect carefully on the squad numbers. Roma cannot realistically withstand the weekly double commitment with Malen (plus Castro), Mora, Soulé and then the adapted players. The overall picture of incomings could be completed by a midfielder with running and physical power, to cover Koné's physical difficulties and De Roon's age. A trio of signings could make Roma's squad resistant to injuries and able to cope with the demands of the Champions League, Serie A and the Coppa Italia, which returns in January.

AS Roma host Sassuolo at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday 7 November at 20:45, closing a demanding run of fixtures before the international break. Sassuolo's head coach Alberto Aquilani, who came through Roma's youth sector and played in the first team before his sale to Liverpool in 2009, returns to the stadium as an opponent. Nemanja Matic, Sassuolo's key midfield figure, also returns to Rome. Paulo Dybala is struggling with a calf problem and is expected to miss the match. Sassuolo sit 17th in Serie A with 8 points from ten matchdays, after two wins, two draws and six defeats. Their defence is the worst in the league, with 26 goals conceded. They have lost four consecutive matches since a 1-1 draw with Milan: 4-2 at Frosinone, 2-0 against Como, 6-2 at home to Lazio and 4-2 against Fiorentina. Those four games produced 16 goals conceded, and Sassuolo have taken just one point from their last five. Their last win came on 13 September, a 3-2 victory over Juventus. The club has confirmed its confidence in Aquilani ahead of the Roma game, but another heavy defeat could prompt further reflection on his position. Roma, by contrast, arrive with 28 goals in their first ten matchdays, the best attack in Serie A. After the Fiorentina defeat, Aquilani did not hide his side's difficulties. He stressed their defensive fragility and the ease with which Sassuolo are giving away chances and goals. Matic remains central to his plans. After the win over Juventus, Aquilani called him a “top player”, pointing in particular to his experience and his ability to help the team in daily training. Matic has nine appearances and two assists in this Serie A season. After the draw with Bologna, Aquilani explained that he would not have taken Matic off unless the midfielder had asked to come off. The Serbian's return also revives memories of his only season at Roma, which ended in the Europa League final lost to Siviglia in Budapest. In that match, Matic became famous for telling Dybala, who was in tears after the penalty shootout defeat, “That’s football”. This time the two are not expected to meet on the pitch. Sassuolo still have attacking threats. Domenico Berardi remains their main creative and offensive reference, while Armand Laurienté provides pace and one-on-one ability on the opposite flank. The Frenchman scored a brace against Fiorentina, though it was not enough to save the result. Sebastiano Esposito competes with Kieron Bowie for the central striker’s role, and Kristian Thorstvedt returns to midfield after serving a suspension. Vasilije Adzic, Sassuolo's top scorer in the league with three goals, also knows how to decide matches, having been decisive in the win over Juventus. Roma have the better recent record. They have won the last four Serie A meetings with Sassuolo. Sassuolo's most recent victory over Roma came in a chaotic 4-3 win at the Olimpico in March 2023. Across 24 Serie A meetings, Roma have been unbeaten in 22, with 13 wins, nine draws and just two defeats. Aquilani is expected to stick with a 4-3-3, although doubts remain at the back, where he is still searching for the most reliable combination after the 16 goals conceded in the last four matchdays. Turati is in contention with Muric for the goalkeeper’s spot. Thorstvedt is set to return in midfield, with Matic in the deep playmaking role and Bakola completing the unit. Berardi and Laurienté are expected to start either side of Esposito in attack.

Radio pundits across Rome's stations have debated whether Manu Koné should be called up by France and whether Roma are over-reliant on Malen and Dybala ahead of the match against Sassuolo. Alessio Nardo of Tele Radio Stereo said: "If Koné, after missing several matches, answered France's call-up, it would annoy me. He is coming back after a long stop and it would not be ideal. Everyone looks after their own interests. Zidane could also consider him available, let's see what happens, but I hope not." He added that France have plenty of alternatives and that Koné, returning from a long injury, could be rested. The debate follows the defeat to Manchester, which David Rossi of Rete Sport called unjustified. He said: "I am surprised by the negativity that has been generated after the defeat at Manchester. It is unjustifiable; you lost to teams with greater resources than yours. Wouldn't you have signed up, at this point, to have lost only to Real and Manchester? We always lose sight of the bigger picture. Roma are a very strong side, built to earn more points than last year: the starting base is 73 points. For me this is an 80-point side, which certainly means Champions League again. Contrary to what some think, that is very important. It is unacceptable to hear that Roma must leave the Champions League." Rossi also noted that a draw between Inter and Como, combined with a Napoli win over Lazio, would make the round unfavourable if Roma failed to beat Sassuolo. Gianluca Piacentini of Rete Sport said Roma must take advantage of their chances. He said: "If that defeat to Manchester had not come, with that dynamic and yet another comeback conceded, we would now be saying Roma started clear favourites against Sassuolo. The fear is that there are more psychological than physical after-effects. The same applies as after Real: one way or another, you have to bring it home. Tactically, it is better to face Sassuolo than Genoa, because putting up barricades is not in their DNA." Roberto Pruzzo of Radio Radio said Roma need to bounce back immediately. He said: "Against Sassuolo you need to restart immediately after the disappointment of Manchester. Sassuolo have conceded 10 goals in their last two matches, Aquilani is in great difficulty, and his side does not have the strength to react. Roma must face the game in the best possible way, looking for satisfaction in attack. Malen also has the odd lapse, and I back Castro, but apart from that great goal he never plays. Maybe there is room for him too. I often refer to the transfer market: you have had only reserves, there is no first-choice player apart from De Roon." Nando Orsi of Radio Radio questioned the dependence on Malen and Dybala. He said: "If Malen is in a slump and Dybala does not play, what happens? Isn't Roma too dependent on those two? Malen was scoring a lot alongside Dybala, now he seems more in difficulty. You need alternatives, because if Malen does not score, you struggle. On Dybala, perhaps Gasperini's management was wrong, making him play ninety minutes every time to prove what..." Mario Mattioli of Radio Radio said Sassuolo are unpredictable and that Roma are not at their brightest. He said: "Sassuolo are a team on a rollercoaster and could wake up and become the side of three weeks ago. Roma are not going through one of their most brilliant moments; I have noticed glaring flaws. This is not the Roma of three weeks ago. Sassuolo's last outing did not leave them unscathed, but if they have recovered they can put Roma in difficulty. Roma can win, but not comfortably." On Dybala, Mattioli also questioned his diet, saying: "Are we sure he is not eating something that affects his muscle tissue? I did a lot of athletics and they even controlled your food." Piero Torri of Manà Manà Sport said there was something about Koné's intentions that remained unclear, asking whether he wanted to play for France. He said: "I would not sincerely send him to risk it, also because France play two real matches, one against Italy. Koné knows he has strong competition in his role for his national team, but Roma pay the price. If he gets injured again, we are back to square one." Lorenzo Pes of Tele Radio Stereo said Koné is fit and that a call-up could be justified, while Roma would have the final say. He said Roma may prefer caution, in which case Koné would be unlikely to be called up. He added that Roma would like to keep him, while the player has recovered. Pes said the decisive day was expected to be the one that followed, and on Gollini: "It's unlikely he will be available tomorrow; he will try until the end, but until yesterday it was very complicated. So I think Vásquez will play, but I don't see that much difference." The pundits' comments centre on how Roma respond to the Manchester defeat and their Sassuolo fixture, with the Koné decision and Dybala's condition still being discussed.