Focus on Brighton

Nahuel Molina has emerged as a key figure in Gian Piero Gasperini's Roma side, playing on the left flank—a position he had rarely occupied in his career. After an initial trial at Torino, Gasperini deployed the Argentine right-back on the opposite flank against Inter, a role Molina has played only nine times overall. The experiment paid off: Molina delivered the assist for Manu Koné's opening goal and impressed enough to convince his manager that the system works. The fullback has since regained ground on his positional rivals, closing a physical gap that had left him sidelined at the start of the season. Gasperini's tactical flexibility is his trademark—the previous season he had shifted Wesley to the left with similar success. Molina possesses greater attacking instinct than Zeki Çelik, and his contributions came through continuous overlaps, off-the-ball movement and crosses from the byline. According to reporting by Niccolò Maurelli in La Repubblica, the Argentine has found the right notes to satisfy Gasperini's demands. Training resumed today with the full squad and continues through Friday, followed by two rest days over the weekend. In the three weeks before Roma face Como, Gasperini plans to arrange friendly matches, possibly against the club's Primavera side, to restore match fitness for those still awaiting playing time. Lorenzo Pellegrini is among those available again after returning from an injury sustained in the final league matches of last season.

Nahuel Molina has emerged as one of Gian Piero Gasperini's shrewdest tactical decisions in the opening weeks of the season, deployed on the left side of Roma's defence—a position unfamiliar to the Argentine defender throughout his career. Molina has responded with a commanding display, contributing an assist for Manu Koné's opening goal in the match against Inter. The positional experiment is yielding the intended results, with Molina declaring his comfort in the new role: "I feel very good on the left." The former Atlético Madrid player, who arrived at the end of August without participating in the summer's pre-season training alongside his teammates, has earned public praise from Gasperini, who said: "Molina is a solid and mature world champion; the coach saw it right." His versatility will allow Gasperini to rotate him and Wesley across both flanks. While Roma prepare for their next Serie A fixture on 11 October against Como, the squad will train at Trigoria with a reduced group. Beyond the international players scattered worldwide, injured players Wesley (muscular strain) and Bryan Cristante (lower back pain) will remain in Rome. The staff has received positive news regarding Lorenzo Pellegrini's full recovery. The Roma captain, returning to availability after a physical problem, will use the two-week break to regain match fitness and arrive at full capacity for the resumption of official matches.

Manu Koné has added his name to Roma's early-season scorers with an unexpected contribution. The French midfielder scored twice against Inter—his first career brace—and has already matched his maximum goal tally from previous seasons in the giallorossi shirt, all by September. Gasperini is working to develop this attacking dimension alongside improving the team's mental approach. The relationship between coach and player has been marked by ups and downs: in May, Gasperini was unimpressed with Koné's performances when his focus appeared to be on the World Cup rather than securing Champions League qualification, and at Turin he was critical of his cameo appearance. Yet there is another side to the story. Gasperini fought to prevent Koné's departure to Chelsea on the final day of the transfer window, recognising the midfielder's value. Against Inter, Koné was the standout performer, not only for his goals: he made zero dribbling mistakes, won two of four duels and completed 85 per cent of his passes. There is a Roma that functions with Koné and one without him—a pattern already evident last season. Without him, the giallorossi were eliminated from the Europa League in the double-header against Bologna and struggled in Serie A between March and April, missing eight league matches during which they failed to earn three points in half their fixtures. Donyell Malen withdrew from international duty for the latest fixture, declining a call-up from new national coach Xavi due to a muscle strain. Wesley and Bryan Cristante will also remain at Trigoria.

Manu Koné has added his name to Roma's early-season scorers with an unexpected contribution. The French midfielder scored twice against Inter—his first career brace—and has already matched his maximum goal tally from previous seasons in the giallorossi shirt, all by September. Gasperini is working to develop this attacking dimension alongside improving the team's mental approach. The relationship between coach and player has been marked by ups and downs: in May, Gasperini was unimpressed with Koné's performances when his focus appeared to be on the World Cup rather than securing Champions League qualification, and at Turin he was critical of his cameo appearance. Yet there is another side to the story. Gasperini fought to prevent Koné's departure to Chelsea on the final day of the transfer window, recognising the midfielder's value. Against Inter, Koné was the standout performer, not only for his goals: he made zero dribbling mistakes, won two of four duels and completed 85 per cent of his passes. There is a Roma that functions with Koné and one without him—a pattern already evident last season. Without him, the giallorossi were eliminated from the Europa League in the double-header against Bologna and struggled in Serie A between March and April, missing eight league matches during which they failed to earn three points in half their fixtures. Donyell Malen withdrew from international duty for the latest fixture, declining a call-up from new national coach Xavi due to a muscle strain. Wesley and Bryan Cristante will also remain at Trigoria.

Roma have emerged from their direct clash with Inter with 13 points from their opening five Serie A matches—the club's best start in five seasons—and sit joint top of the table, a position they last shared with Lazio 54 years ago. The defence has been exceptional, conceding only four goals, level with Cagliari's total, while goalkeeper Mile Svilar leads the league in save percentage at 81%. Gasperini emphasised the importance of the draw against Inter, saying: "The draw with Inter is a signal to the league. We go forward on our own path, confident we can do well." With the international break providing a crucial window before a demanding fixture list, Gasperini will have three key starting players available at the club's Trigoria training centre. Wesley will remain in Rome due to minor injuries sustained in the recent match and to avoid long transatlantic travel, while Donyell Malen will not participate in his country's Nations League fixtures. Bryan Cristante has been ruled out of Italy's call-up after developing a lower back problem. Gasperini acknowledged the challenge ahead, stating: "The calendar will be tremendous after the break. I will have to be brave and throw everyone in—we will have to play with twenty men." These three absences from international duty represent valuable recovery time for the players ahead of the league's resumption. The positive momentum from Roma's strong opening and the return of fit bodies at Trigoria will be central to maintaining their title challenge in the weeks to come.

Donyell Malen has withdrawn from the Netherlands squad for upcoming Nations League matches due to an injury, the Dutch federation confirmed. The Roma forward will remain at the club's Trigoria training ground during the international break. Malen's absence follows similar withdrawals from Wesley and Bryan Cristante, who have also been ruled out for their respective national teams. Xavi Hernandez has called up Mexx Meerdink as Malen's replacement in the Dutch squad. The injury setback comes after Malen featured in Roma's recent 2–2 draw against Inter. The club's medical staff will assess him over the coming days, though the federation provided no further details on the nature or extent of the problem. For coach Gian Piero Gasperini, this marks the third injury-related withdrawal on the eve of the international window. Wesley was excluded from Brazil's squad and replaced by Vanderson, while Cristante will miss Italy's camp at Coverciano, with Samuele Ricci taking his place in the Italian squad. Former Roma player Justin Kluivert also withdrew from the Netherlands squad due to injury, with Guus Til called in as his replacement.