Dybala plays more regularly than he has in a decade, but one thing is still missing

Bryan Cristante, Donyell Malen and Wesley have chosen to remain at Trigoria rather than respond to call-ups from Italy, the Netherlands and Brazil respectively during the international break. The decision reflects the unity Gian Piero Gasperini has built at the club, with all three prioritizing recovery and preparation for a demanding stretch between 11 and 31 October, when Roma will play seven matches in 20 days. The move signals a sharp departure from recent history, when tension between the previous medical staff and coaching team had created friction. With the departure of Petrucci and the arrival of Del Vescovo in the medical department, coordination has improved markedly—each decision is now made with the common good and injury prevention in mind. Gasperini has emphasized that daily work serves as a "vaccine" that builds the squad's resilience. On the pitch, Roma have displayed strong athleticism, though some fatigue in the early stages of the second half suggests room for improvement remains. The cohesion at Trigoria reflects what Gasperini describes as a serene and unified atmosphere across squad, technical staff and the completely restructured medical area. This compactness will be tested during the international break, a window the club intends to use for recuperation and consolidation ahead of the congested fixture schedule.

Twelve Roma players have been called up to their respective national teams during the international break, leaving Trigoria semi-empty: Ghilardi, Mancini, Balerdi, Soulé, Castro, Mora, Pisilli, Lulli, De Marzi, Koné, N'Dicka and Koulierakis will join their countries. Bryan Cristante, Donyell Malen and Wesley will remain in Rome, though their physical problems are not causing concern and they are expected to be available for the return fixture against Como. The extended pause—roughly twenty days of useful preparation—will allow many players to recover and recharge before a demanding run of fixtures begins. Marten de Roon, who arrived at the club in the closing stages of the transfer window, stands to benefit significantly from the break. The midfielder is not yet at full fitness and has yet to start a match under Gasperini, partly due to the coach's reluctance to rotate and partly because he accumulated zero minutes in his first two appearances under Sarri at Bergamo over the summer. De Roon is an established Gasperini player who understands the manager's tactical demands, and he is gradually carving out space in the Roma squad. The upcoming international break will provide crucial recovery time before the club faces an intense fixture schedule after the Como match, when the depth of the full squad will be needed.

Gian Piero Gasperini has set the goal of playing twenty for Roma, but that requires integrating three significant recruits who have so far received limited playing time. Rodrigo Mora, Santiago Castro and Konstantinos Koulierakis — three players of different ages, characteristics and positions — have collectively cost the club over €100 million in fixed fees and bonuses. Roma invested in them with the expectation they would become key contributors soon, yet in the opening six official matches Gasperini has relied primarily on the group offering him the most certainty. That strategy has worked: four wins and two draws. Among the new arrivals, Leonardo Balerdi and Nahuel Molina have integrated more quickly; Mora, Castro and Koulierakis have had a more gradual path. Mora, the Portuguese midfielder, has had the most exposure. He has accumulated 187 minutes across five appearances at a rate of 37.4 minutes per game, and is the only one of the three to have started — twice, against Fiorentina and Atalanta. After a very promising start, his usage has progressively declined, and Gasperini will need to restore continuity and impact to his offensive rotations. Castro, the Argentine, has managed 105 minutes over four matches, averaging 26.25 per outing. His impact has been hampered by considerable misfortune: he has already struck the woodwork four times. Donyell Malen has inevitably restricted his space so far, but the fixture schedule after the international break will intensify and the Dutch forward will eventually need rest — opening the door for Castro to prove he can inherit his responsibility without lowering the team's attacking level. Koulierakis, the Greek defender, has the most limited minutes of all: just 31 across two appearances, averaging 15.5. Gasperini has used him least of the three, partly because competition in front of him has increased with Balerdi's immediate impact and the reliability of Evan N'Dicka and Gianluca Mancini. The financial figures underline the club's faith in these three. Castro cost €35 million plus €5 million in potential add-ons, Koulierakis €16.5 million plus €1.5 million in add-ons, while Mora's deal can reach €50 million — €25 immediately and another €25 within the next year, or alternatively 50 per cent of any future sale. Gasperini has always reasoned by performance and reliability rather than transfer fee, and these numbers do not obligate him to award minutes by contract right. But they explain why the development of Mora, Castro and Koulierakis is a fundamental next step for the season. Marten de Roon, 35 and familiar with Gasperini, represents a separate case — his value lies in offering experience, leadership and immediate tactical knowledge when required. The international break will limit Gasperini's training opportunities with many players away from Trigoria. When the calendar resumes, Roma will enter a period where fielding the same eleven every match will become impossible. That is when the goal of playing twenty will cease to be theory and demand reality: Gasperini must turn the €100 million that has mostly waited on the bench into three genuine alternatives capable of becoming far more than backups.

Paulo Dybala has reached a career high in playing time at Roma, appearing for 407 of 450 available minutes—90.4%—across the first five Serie A matches and the Champions League fixture against Fenerbahçe. The last time he enjoyed this level of continuity was the 2016–17 season, when he won the Scudetto. His display in Roma's recent match against Inter typified the form: he flew down the flank despite close marking from Bastoni, pursued Dimarco across the pitch and delivered crosses into the area. Although Dybala has not scored for eight months, his role has shifted toward creating for teammates; he has been instrumental in setting up Donyell Malen. A moment in the first half against Inter caught observers' attention: a struck effort with the outside of his boot, a technique he had shelved in favour of his comfort zone of the inside pass. It signals a willingness to expand his toolbox and add unpredictability to Roma's attack.

Roma have shifted from constant squad overhauls to a philosophy of retaining and building around proven players while adding quality reinforcements—a strategic departure that appears to be delivering real strength. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who took charge in 2025, sought stability rather than permanent revolution: a squad with a solid foundation onto which he could make surgical additions of two to four players at a time, ideally already proven and capable of becoming new cornerstones themselves. The article argues this represents the defining difference between the current Roma and many predecessors, which often leaned too heavily on a handful of elite performers and collapsed when one or two were absent. Mile Svilar has become an absolute certainty in goal. Evan N'Dicka is now a defensive reference point. Gianluca Mancini, despite some early-season errors, remains a squad leader through experience and personality. Wesley has made clear progress. Manu Koné is a player on whom present and future can be built. Paulo Dybala retains the talent to change a match with one moment. Donyell Malen has finally delivered what Roma lacked: a striker who consistently converts offensive output into goals. Alongside these established figures stand young talents with assured ability, to be developed without excessive pressure under Gasperini's direction. The genuine novelty is that Roma are adding fresh certainties to this foundation. Leonardo Balerdi arrived in the final hours of the transfer window and needed little time to explain why Gasperini wanted him: he defends aggressively, works hard off the ball, accepts physical duels, and shows personality in possession. The article cautions that three appearances make no verdict, but the sense is that Roma may have found not simply an alternative but another potential pillar. Nahuel Molina carries the same philosophy from a different angle—not a numerical placeholder but a World Cup winner accustomed to major stages who, after weeks regaining fitness, is demonstrating he can start without being considered an emergency solution. Gasperini has even deployed him on the opposite flank, and he provided an assist for Manu Koné's opening goal against Inter. Marten de Roon similarly represents no attention-grabbing summer window signing, yet he was captain and fundamental leader at Gasperini's Atalanta, understands what the coach demands before explanation, and in a fifty-match season offers another certainty to lean on during fatigue, injury and rotation. The summer transfer window was not flawless. Roma lacked precisely the offensive coup Gasperini pursued for months: a player capable of starting from the left, cutting onto his right foot, creating superiority and adding unpredictability to the attacking third. The club tried until the final moments without closing the deal. That piece remains missing and will likely return as a priority. Yet this itself signals how perspective has changed. There is no longer a squad to rebuild—there is a squad to complete. Future recruitment should consolidate those giving Roma identity, verify whether Balerdi and Molina can sustain that level, and add one or two more of similar calibre: an attacking winger, perhaps later a midfielder, then what the squad's evolution demands. One piece at a time, without dismantling what already holds the structure.

Paulo Dybala has returned to peak physical condition under Gasperini's management, delivering consistent performances despite a notable absence from the scoresheet early in the 2026–27 season. The Argentine has played 497 minutes so far, more than any other outfield player except Bryan Cristante and Mario Hermoso, and has created two goals in the Inter match through his own intuition and recovery work in dangerous areas. This marks a dramatic turnaround from his injury-plagued spell before Gasperini's arrival: from 2022 to May 2026, Dybala missed 49 matches, frequently hampered by setbacks and cautious management. Gasperini believes Dybala can offer more. His technical quality in the final third remains sharp, but the breakthrough goal has eluded him. During the current international break, Gasperini intends to work on restoring Dybala's shooting instincts, encouraging him to get off the mark as he did during his peak years at Juventus.

Bryan Cristante, Donyell Malen and Wesley have chosen to remain at Trigoria rather than respond to call-ups from Italy, the Netherlands and Brazil respectively during the international break. The decision reflects the unity Gian Piero Gasperini has built at the club, with all three prioritizing recovery and preparation for a demanding stretch between 11 and 31 October, when Roma will play seven matches in 20 days. The move signals a sharp departure from recent history, when tension between the previous medical staff and coaching team had created friction. With the departure of Petrucci and the arrival of Del Vescovo in the medical department, coordination has improved markedly—each decision is now made with the common good and injury prevention in mind. Gasperini has emphasized that daily work serves as a "vaccine" that builds the squad's resilience. On the pitch, Roma have displayed strong athleticism, though some fatigue in the early stages of the second half suggests room for improvement remains. The cohesion at Trigoria reflects what Gasperini describes as a serene and unified atmosphere across squad, technical staff and the completely restructured medical area. This compactness will be tested during the international break, a window the club intends to use for recuperation and consolidation ahead of the congested fixture schedule.

Twelve Roma players have been called up to their respective national teams during the international break, leaving Trigoria semi-empty: Ghilardi, Mancini, Balerdi, Soulé, Castro, Mora, Pisilli, Lulli, De Marzi, Koné, N'Dicka and Koulierakis will join their countries. Bryan Cristante, Donyell Malen and Wesley will remain in Rome, though their physical problems are not causing concern and they are expected to be available for the return fixture against Como. The extended pause—roughly twenty days of useful preparation—will allow many players to recover and recharge before a demanding run of fixtures begins. Marten de Roon, who arrived at the club in the closing stages of the transfer window, stands to benefit significantly from the break. The midfielder is not yet at full fitness and has yet to start a match under Gasperini, partly due to the coach's reluctance to rotate and partly because he accumulated zero minutes in his first two appearances under Sarri at Bergamo over the summer. De Roon is an established Gasperini player who understands the manager's tactical demands, and he is gradually carving out space in the Roma squad. The upcoming international break will provide crucial recovery time before the club faces an intense fixture schedule after the Como match, when the depth of the full squad will be needed.

Gian Piero Gasperini has set the goal of playing twenty for Roma, but that requires integrating three significant recruits who have so far received limited playing time. Rodrigo Mora, Santiago Castro and Konstantinos Koulierakis — three players of different ages, characteristics and positions — have collectively cost the club over €100 million in fixed fees and bonuses. Roma invested in them with the expectation they would become key contributors soon, yet in the opening six official matches Gasperini has relied primarily on the group offering him the most certainty. That strategy has worked: four wins and two draws. Among the new arrivals, Leonardo Balerdi and Nahuel Molina have integrated more quickly; Mora, Castro and Koulierakis have had a more gradual path. Mora, the Portuguese midfielder, has had the most exposure. He has accumulated 187 minutes across five appearances at a rate of 37.4 minutes per game, and is the only one of the three to have started — twice, against Fiorentina and Atalanta. After a very promising start, his usage has progressively declined, and Gasperini will need to restore continuity and impact to his offensive rotations. Castro, the Argentine, has managed 105 minutes over four matches, averaging 26.25 per outing. His impact has been hampered by considerable misfortune: he has already struck the woodwork four times. Donyell Malen has inevitably restricted his space so far, but the fixture schedule after the international break will intensify and the Dutch forward will eventually need rest — opening the door for Castro to prove he can inherit his responsibility without lowering the team's attacking level. Koulierakis, the Greek defender, has the most limited minutes of all: just 31 across two appearances, averaging 15.5. Gasperini has used him least of the three, partly because competition in front of him has increased with Balerdi's immediate impact and the reliability of Evan N'Dicka and Gianluca Mancini. The financial figures underline the club's faith in these three. Castro cost €35 million plus €5 million in potential add-ons, Koulierakis €16.5 million plus €1.5 million in add-ons, while Mora's deal can reach €50 million — €25 immediately and another €25 within the next year, or alternatively 50 per cent of any future sale. Gasperini has always reasoned by performance and reliability rather than transfer fee, and these numbers do not obligate him to award minutes by contract right. But they explain why the development of Mora, Castro and Koulierakis is a fundamental next step for the season. Marten de Roon, 35 and familiar with Gasperini, represents a separate case — his value lies in offering experience, leadership and immediate tactical knowledge when required. The international break will limit Gasperini's training opportunities with many players away from Trigoria. When the calendar resumes, Roma will enter a period where fielding the same eleven every match will become impossible. That is when the goal of playing twenty will cease to be theory and demand reality: Gasperini must turn the €100 million that has mostly waited on the bench into three genuine alternatives capable of becoming far more than backups.