Fabregas and Gasperini: the fork in the road that satisfied Roma

Mile Svilar has suffered a stress fracture to his little finger and will not return before 21 November, when Roma face Parma. Pierluigi Gollini takes over in goal for a goalkeeper who has otherwise served as a squad presence during his first season and a half at the club, having played only once — against Panathinaikos, when he was at fault for a Greek goal. Gollini's spell in the first team comes as coach Gian Piero Gasperini sends a signal to the ownership. The Friedkin Group is selling Everton and intends to shift focus increasingly toward Roma and ice hockey's NHL. Gasperini is urging them to honour that commitment with direct involvement. He believes the squad can achieve something significant this season and is also preparing for the club's centenary year. Gasperini made his case explicit in recent remarks. "A society is important when the ownership is involved," he said. He then revealed: "With the Friedkin we haven't spoken in a month." The message is clear: the manager wants greater presence from ownership as Roma push for success.

Roma travel to Como for a Serie A match against Como at the Sinigaglia on 11 October at 12:30, marking the club's return to league action after a three-week break. The away section is sold out, and Roma have confirmed that no additional tickets will be available for purchase on matchday. Roma's official statement stressed that supporters should only travel to Como if they already hold a valid ticket. The club has recommended fans make the journey only with a legitimate match ticket, in accordance with local and public safety authority directives. No tickets will be sold at the ground on the day of the fixture. The stadium gates will open at 10:30. Access to the stadium will be permitted exclusively to those who already possess a ticket.

Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has delivered a message to Roma's ownership about the conditions required to build a successful team. In his press conference, Gasperini stated: "To make a team great, I believe it is important to have a company with ownership that is very involved." The remarks come as Roma continue their 2026-27 campaign under the Friedkin Group, who took control of the club in August 2020. Gasperini's comments underline the importance of backing and engagement from the ownership structure as the club pursues its ambitions. In the same conference, Gasperini confirmed that goalkeeper Mile Svilar will be sidelined for approximately one month with a foot injury, with Pierluigi Gollini set to cover his absence. Defender Konstantinos Koulierakis is also out of contention during the upcoming international break.

Roma prepare to face Como after the international break with Gian Piero Gasperini contending with significant absences. Goalkeeper Mile Svilar is sidelined and will miss the entire run of matches until the next international pause, while Bryan Cristante remains injured. Konstantinos Koulierakis is also unavailable due to a contusion, leaving the manager stretched in key areas as the campaign resumes and the title race intensifies. The tactical picture remains fluid across the available reports. Pierluigi Gollini will deputise in goal, with Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso forming the defensive line in a three-man system. Marten de Roon is expected to start in midfield, while Lorenzo Pellegrini is favoured over both Rodrigo Mora and Matías Soulé in the attacking midfield slots. The formation varies between configurations, with some reports suggesting a 3-4-2-1 shape featuring Paulo Dybala and Pellegrini behind Donyell Malen, while others propose a 3-4-1-2 with Pellegrini in a deeper midfield role supporting Dybala and Malen in attack. Nahuel Molina and Wesley feature as wing-backs across most predictions, with Manu Koné anchoring the midfield. The competing lineups reflect ongoing debate among observers about Gasperini's preferred balance between defensive security and attacking thrust, particularly given the personnel constraints imposed by injury.

Pierluigi Gollini steps into Roma's first-choice goalkeeper role today at Como after Mile Svilar suffered a stress fracture to his little toe. Svilar is not expected to return before 21 November, when Roma face Parma after the next international break, leaving Gollini to provide continuity through a demanding fixture run rather than a short-term stand-in. Gian Piero Gasperini has shown no hesitation in backing his goalkeeper. At the pre-match press conference, the head coach said: "He has always trained well and must have everyone's confidence." The choice carries weight because Gollini and Gasperini worked together at Atalanta, giving the goalkeeper an existing understanding of the coach's tactical demands. For Roma's defence — Mancini, N'Dicka, Hermoso and others — the transition will demand new communication patterns, adjusted timing on exits and altered management of space, since Gasperini asks his goalkeepers to operate deep in their half and accept frequent individual duels. Gollini's last Serie A appearance came on 5 October 2024, when he defended Genoa's goal against Atalanta under Gasperini. He joined Roma in January 2025 and has since played just one official match—against Panathinaikos in European competition—where he was exposed for the Greek goal. Svilar had kept him almost entirely out of the picture until now. Roma enter a sequence of nine matches in 27 days, with league and Champions League fixtures interlocking without respite. This is no brief absence for Gollini to manage; he must guarantee security to a squad accustomed to Svilar as a core reference point. The real test begins today at Como. Gollini has long awaited his chance, though likely not imagined it would arrive at the most congested point of autumn, with Roma losing their number one at precisely the wrong moment.

Roma will face Como in the Serie A sixth round at 12:30 on Saturday. Lorenzo Pellegrini is expected to return to the starting XI after recent absence, according to Italian newspaper line-ups. The leading outlets Gazzetta dello Sport, Corriere della Sera, and Corriere dello Sport project Roma in a 3-4-2-1 formation, with Pellegrini deployed in an attacking midfield role alongside Paulo Dybala, who will lead the line with Donyell Malen. Gazzetta and Corriere della Sera's predicted XI places Pellegrini and Dybala as the two attacking midfielders behind centre-forward Malen, while Il Messaggero and Corriere dello Sport see Pellegrini as a single playmaker in a 3-4-1-2 shape with Dybala and Malen paired in attack. Defence and midfield remain consistent across all predictions: Pierluigi Gollini in goal; Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka, and Mario Hermoso at centre-back; Nahuel Molina and Wesley as wing-backs (or Emanuele Lulli on the left in Corriere dello Sport's formation); Marten de Roon and Manu Koné anchoring midfield.