Fenerbahce v Roma: Gil Manzano in charge for Champions League opener

Rodrigo Mora is among the young players set to make their Champions League debuts on matchday one this season. The Roma midfielder has been highlighted by the New York Times in a list of ten young players to watch in this year's competition, earning a striking comparison to Lionel Messi. The New York Times article described Mora as "a small playmaker of 168 cm who shines with his long hair, and comparisons with a young Lionel Messi are inevitable." While acknowledging that "Mora does not possess Messi's supernatural ability, the stylistic similarities are there." Like the Argentine, Mora operates freely between the lines, seeking the ball from teammates before driving toward goal, and his dribbling style is characterised by feints and changes of direction. The piece noted his typical pattern: "Mora collects the ball on the left flank and runs toward the defender to mark and beat him, as he did against Fiorentina."

Roma begin their Champions League campaign against Fenerbahçe, but the Turkish club will be without midfielder Mattéo Guendouzi, suspended following a playoff match against Lyon. Guendouzi was handed the ban after an on-field incident in which he provoked the opposing squad and supporters following victory. Fenerbahçe president Aziz Yildirim has submitted an appeal to the disciplinary tribunal. He said: "We have lodged an appeal and it will go to the appeals court. We hope the sanction is reduced." Yildirim added: "Greenwood's suspension has already been overturned and we believe Guendouzi's can also be lessened."

Fenerbahçe president Aziz Yıldırım has filed an appeal against Mateo Guendouzi's suspension, which will keep the midfielder out of the club's next two Champions League matches—including Thursday's fixture against Roma. Yıldırım said: "We have lodged an appeal and it will go to the appeals court. We hope the sanction will be reduced." Guendouzi's ban comes amid Fenerbahçe's claims of refereeing injustices in recent league matches. Yıldırım drew a parallel with a previous case at the club, stating: "Greenwood's suspension has already been overturned and we believe Guendouzi's can also be reduced."

Roma's radio stations weighed in on the club's Champions League campaign launch and squad decisions ahead of Thursday's fixture in Istanbul. Roberto Pruzzo told Radio Radio he saw no red flags in the project: "The sensation around Roma is absolutely positive, there seems to be only one path and they are following it. Everyone is behind the manager, and that feels like the most positive signal. There are technical qualities that let the coach make changes when necessary without negative impact. Right now I don't see any downsides. Until the break I expect Roma to physically surprise opponents—I think they've done targeted planning to go 200 kilometres per hour until the break." Staff changes dominated discussion of squad depth. Ilario Di Giovambattista reported that Nahuel Molina would play against Fenerbahce, while Lorenzo Pellegrini's first call-up would come at Torino. Paolo Marcacci anticipated "surgical changes" for Istanbul, potentially including Santiago Castro for Donyell Malen up front. Paolo Cosenza and Piero Torri both attacked the travel ban on Roma province residents, with Torri calling it "totally unconstitutional" and urging the club to take an official stand. "Why can't I go to Torino to watch Roma? What have I done wrong?" Torri asked. "If there is individual responsibility, the state must guarantee me freedom." Alessio Nardo questioned Gasperini's handling of Salah-Eddine, who has rejected all offers with only the Mexican market remaining open. "He's turned everything down and now he's just going to graze at Trigoria with no real ambition until January," Nardo said. "When Salah-Eddine isn't considered and is out of the project, and when Guerreiro—who played for Bayern Munich last season—is immediately discarded, it makes me think the left-back position is a priority for Gasperini. But he doesn't seem to have chased it aggressively on the market. Salah-Eddine played in a World Cup and African Cup of Nations. If Kostas Tsimikas was there last season, maybe he deserved a chance. Clearly Gasperini really hates him." Lorenzo Pes added that Gasperini had made no current reassessment: "He's stuck with the view he had a year ago. Salah-Eddine doesn't have the characteristics Gasperini wants in his wing-backs." Roma's opening Champions League fixture comes Thursday at 18:45 in Istanbul against Fenerbahce. David Rossi noted the absence of Aurélien Guendouzi and flagged environmental difficulty alongside technical challenge. Nando Orsi backed the title ambition, calling the league Roma's "indubitable objective" while viewing Napoli as in a particular moment and Inter focused on Champions League victory.

Lorenzo Pellegrini has recovered from a right thigh rectus femoris injury and will be included in Roma's squad for their Champions League trip to Fenerbahçe, though head coach Gian Piero Gasperini is managing his return cautiously. The midfielder has been sidelined during pre-season and the opening stages of the campaign but has spent the past week training at full intensity with his teammates, absorbing increasingly demanding physical work. His medical clearance comes at a crucial moment as Roma prepare for a congested fixture schedule spanning league and European commitments. Gasperini will have Pellegrini available as a key option from the bench in Istanbul, but the staff intends to handle his reintegration into match action with maximum care. The target date for his actual return to the pitch is next Monday in Roma's Serie A fixture against Torino. The number seven, who recently renewed his contract, is a central weapon in Gasperini's rotation system, offering versatility, playmaking vision and the ability to operate between the lines—assets essential for navigating the dense autumn calendar ahead.

Roma trained at Trigoria on 7 September with full focus on their Champions League debut on Thursday in Istanbul, under the watch of CEO John Galantic and sporting director Tony D'Amico, ahead of a possible visit from the Friedkin ownership. No residual effects from the intense Atalanta match meant the entire squad was available to Gasperini, who allowed himself a smile when Santiago Castro performed penalty press-ups during a training session. Lorenzo Pellegrini, who recently signed a contract renewal, has fully recovered from a right thigh rectus femoris injury and has been training with the group for a week, putting him in contention for the Fenerbahçe encounter. However, his debut in the competition will likely come on the following Monday at Turin.