Gasperini backs youth for Genoa, starts Castro, Mora and Lulli

Roma face Genoa tonight at the Olimpico without five key players, forcing Gasperini to field an unusually second-string side. Donyell Malen's absence is the heaviest blow—he was singled out unanimously by analysts reviewing Roma's midweek performance against Real Madrid as the only player to emerge with widespread approval. Beyond Malen, Pierluigi Gollini will start in goal with Mile Svilar injured, while Bryan Cristante and Manu Koné remain sidelined in midfield. Paulo Dybala and an unspecified centre-forward are also unavailable: Dybala through injury, the striker through suspension. Four of the five absences are injury-related with no confirmed return date yet. Gasperini's philosophy ordinarily rejects any split between first-team and reserve players, but tonight's circumstances demand simultaneous deployment of his least-used squad members. It will be a true test of maturity for them, with only 16 outfield players available from the bench. Roma will have just one substitute available from those, with only six players total spanning attack and midfield—three strikers and two midfielders—where squads traditionally rotate heavily. The imbalance is stark: Gasperini has six centre-backs competing for three defensive spots and four wide players for two flank positions. The coach has not ruled out an unconventional solution: deploying a defender into midfield if the emergency deepens. Genoa are managed by former Roma manager Daniele De Rossi.

Gian Piero Gasperini's Roma squad is severely depleted ahead of this evening's fixture against Genoa, with the head coach forced to manage a crisis that extends beyond the lingering disappointment of their recent loss to Real Madrid. Svilar, Cristante, Koné and Dybala are all unavailable, while Malen faces suspension, leaving Gasperini with just 16 outfield players — 11 for the starting eleven and five substitutes. The numerical shortage is not a complaint from a manager seeking to deflect attention from defeat but rather reflects failures in the summer transfer window, according to reporting by Stefano Carina in Il Messaggero. Gasperini remains focused on the task ahead despite the circumstances. On the injury situation, he explained: "Manu has a first-degree muscle strain, I hope to have him back before the international break, maybe against Sassuolo, while Paulo has a soleus strain and will return next week." The Real Madrid result—a clamorosa rimonta conceded in the final eight minutes from three successive corner kicks—has left its mark. Gasperini reflected on the margin of the collapse: "I had seen three penalties missed in a row last season and thought it was a fine record. But the other night, with three goals from corners, we surpassed it." Roma remain a squad of value but numerically constrained, a constraint that demands urgent solutions as the season progresses.

Manu Koné and Paulo Dybala both underwent medical tests on 16 October following injuries sustained in Roma's match against Real Madrid. Koné, who left the Olimpico in tears after 15 minutes, has been diagnosed with a first-degree strain to his right biceps femoris, described as "not significant". He is expected to miss approximately 20 days and could return between Roma's fixtures against Manchester United on 3 November and Sassuolo five days later. Dybala will sit out the upcoming match against Genoa due to calf fatigue, with the aim of returning for fixtures against Slovan and Napoli. Bryan Cristante, currently recovering from inflammation of his right knee, is also expected to be fit for that run of matches. The favourable spacing of Roma's forthcoming schedule gives coach Gian Piero Gasperini a window to reintegrate his sidelined players.

Gian Piero Gasperini has flagged Roma's squad depth as a major concern ahead of the match against Genoa, with four key players unavailable. Donyell Malen is suspended, while Manu Koné, Paulo Dybala and Bryan Cristante are all sidelined through injury. Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Gasperini said: "Tomorrow I am worried about the fact that we have few substitutes and we will have to face the match in some positions with someone from the Primavera." The coach emphasised that European football demands a larger squad: "Whoever plays in the cups cannot have the squad of five years ago, numerically." Koné is sidelined by a first-degree muscle injury sustained against Real Madrid, with recovery targeted for the Sassuolo fixture. Dybala, dealing with fatigue in his calf, is closer to fitness; Gasperini said: "We hope to get him back next week." Cristante, troubled by inflammation of the knee, is aiming for the Napoli match but the coach is cautious: "I don't want to put his recovery at risk." Goalkeeper Mile Svilar faces a longer layoff due to a stress fracture of the finger and is expected back after the international break. Roberto Pruzzo, speaking exclusively to Romanews, framed the fixture from Genoa's perspective, noting their confidence after a win over Fiorentina: "The victory has unblocked the team's mind, so, despite the limits it has, Genoa will give battle." For Roma, Pruzzo stressed the importance of a response: "Beating Genoa would mean immediately starting to march again." He praised Gasperini's tactical choices, highlighting Lorenzo Pellegrini's deployment in midfield and Santiago Castro's opportunity to replace Malen: "He is a centre-forward—if not now, when?" The article also reflected on José Mourinho's return to the Olimpico as an opponent during the Real Madrid match, describing the warmth shown by Roma's supporters. Mourinho thanked the crowd on Instagram: "When the finest moments of a long career are not goals or victories, but rather emotions for which I can only humbly express my gratitude. Thank you Roma, thank you Roma fans. Emotions and eternal gratitude to you."

Roma face Genoa on Saturday at 20:45 at the Olimpico, three days after a defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini said in his pre-match press conference: "We must broaden the squad. Now the young players must make us win." Gasperini will draw on Primavera reinforcements, with Panico highlighted as a midfield option. The first team faces forced selections in midfield and attack, with Soulé and Mora operating as playmakers behind Castro on the trequarti. Both were recruited for significant fees during the summer and are now expected to justify that investment immediately. Defenders Balerdi and Lulli will return to the starting line-up. Stephan El Shaarawy will feature in a significant personal moment on his return to Roma. The club has not won after the international break since 2024, a streak Gasperini's side will look to end.

Roma will face Genoa at the Stadio Olimpico on 17 October in Serie A matchday 8, with Daniele De Rossi in charge of the visiting side. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has named his squad, with Rodrigo Mora returning to the starting lineup after providing an assist in the Champions League against Real Madrid. Matías Soulé will play alongside the Portuguese midfielder, while Emanuele Lulli is expected to replace Nahuel Molina at left-back, with Wesley confirmed on the opposite flank. Pierluigi Gollini will start in goal behind a three-man defence of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso, with Leonardo Balerdi pressing for a place. Niccolò Pisilli and Marten de Roon complete the midfield four. Santiago Castro leads the attack. Roma's expected formation: 3-4-2-1.

Roma face Genoa tonight at the Olimpico without five key players, forcing Gasperini to field an unusually second-string side. Donyell Malen's absence is the heaviest blow—he was singled out unanimously by analysts reviewing Roma's midweek performance against Real Madrid as the only player to emerge with widespread approval. Beyond Malen, Pierluigi Gollini will start in goal with Mile Svilar injured, while Bryan Cristante and Manu Koné remain sidelined in midfield. Paulo Dybala and an unspecified centre-forward are also unavailable: Dybala through injury, the striker through suspension. Four of the five absences are injury-related with no confirmed return date yet. Gasperini's philosophy ordinarily rejects any split between first-team and reserve players, but tonight's circumstances demand simultaneous deployment of his least-used squad members. It will be a true test of maturity for them, with only 16 outfield players available from the bench. Roma will have just one substitute available from those, with only six players total spanning attack and midfield—three strikers and two midfielders—where squads traditionally rotate heavily. The imbalance is stark: Gasperini has six centre-backs competing for three defensive spots and four wide players for two flank positions. The coach has not ruled out an unconventional solution: deploying a defender into midfield if the emergency deepens. Genoa are managed by former Roma manager Daniele De Rossi.

Gian Piero Gasperini's Roma squad is severely depleted ahead of this evening's fixture against Genoa, with the head coach forced to manage a crisis that extends beyond the lingering disappointment of their recent loss to Real Madrid. Svilar, Cristante, Koné and Dybala are all unavailable, while Malen faces suspension, leaving Gasperini with just 16 outfield players — 11 for the starting eleven and five substitutes. The numerical shortage is not a complaint from a manager seeking to deflect attention from defeat but rather reflects failures in the summer transfer window, according to reporting by Stefano Carina in Il Messaggero. Gasperini remains focused on the task ahead despite the circumstances. On the injury situation, he explained: "Manu has a first-degree muscle strain, I hope to have him back before the international break, maybe against Sassuolo, while Paulo has a soleus strain and will return next week." The Real Madrid result—a clamorosa rimonta conceded in the final eight minutes from three successive corner kicks—has left its mark. Gasperini reflected on the margin of the collapse: "I had seen three penalties missed in a row last season and thought it was a fine record. But the other night, with three goals from corners, we surpassed it." Roma remain a squad of value but numerically constrained, a constraint that demands urgent solutions as the season progresses.

Gian Piero Gasperini has flagged Roma's squad depth as a major concern ahead of the match against Genoa, with four key players unavailable. Donyell Malen is suspended, while Manu Koné, Paulo Dybala and Bryan Cristante are all sidelined through injury. Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Gasperini said: "Tomorrow I am worried about the fact that we have few substitutes and we will have to face the match in some positions with someone from the Primavera." The coach emphasised that European football demands a larger squad: "Whoever plays in the cups cannot have the squad of five years ago, numerically." Koné is sidelined by a first-degree muscle injury sustained against Real Madrid, with recovery targeted for the Sassuolo fixture. Dybala, dealing with fatigue in his calf, is closer to fitness; Gasperini said: "We hope to get him back next week." Cristante, troubled by inflammation of the knee, is aiming for the Napoli match but the coach is cautious: "I don't want to put his recovery at risk." Goalkeeper Mile Svilar faces a longer layoff due to a stress fracture of the finger and is expected back after the international break. Roberto Pruzzo, speaking exclusively to Romanews, framed the fixture from Genoa's perspective, noting their confidence after a win over Fiorentina: "The victory has unblocked the team's mind, so, despite the limits it has, Genoa will give battle." For Roma, Pruzzo stressed the importance of a response: "Beating Genoa would mean immediately starting to march again." He praised Gasperini's tactical choices, highlighting Lorenzo Pellegrini's deployment in midfield and Santiago Castro's opportunity to replace Malen: "He is a centre-forward—if not now, when?" The article also reflected on José Mourinho's return to the Olimpico as an opponent during the Real Madrid match, describing the warmth shown by Roma's supporters. Mourinho thanked the crowd on Instagram: "When the finest moments of a long career are not goals or victories, but rather emotions for which I can only humbly express my gratitude. Thank you Roma, thank you Roma fans. Emotions and eternal gratitude to you."

An exhibition dedicated to Giorgio Rossi, AS Roma's historic masseur who died in 2018, was inaugurated today at Centro Culturale Espositivo 'La Vaccheria' by Roma Club Eur Torrino on the occasion of the club's 25th anniversary. Rossi spent 55 years at Roma, from 1957 to 2012, working with generations of the club's greatest players including Agostino Di Bartolomei, Bruno Conti, Giuseppe Giannini, Francesco Totti and Daniele De Rossi. He remains the only person to appear in photographs of both Roma's 1983 Serie A title and their third Scudetto in 2001, eighteen years later. During his career Rossi witnessed 12 AS Roma presidents, 26 managers, 15 captains and over one thousand players. He accumulated 18 trophies across Serie A titles, cups and supercups — more than any other Roma player in the club's history. The exhibition traces his life through photographs, newspaper articles and memorabilia, with the upper floor housing a dedicated section featuring signed shirts, pennants from the Scudetto-winning seasons, his historic tracksuit and a banner that hung in the Tribuna Tevere during his final match at the Olimpico on 5 May 2012. Former Roma defender Ubaldo Righetti, speaking on behalf of Mayor Gualtieri, said: "It has been the greatest honour, deeply moved that I cannot be here. Being here today is an immense emotion, I wear two roles and both speak of affection, esteem and gratitude — and perhaps in this too I must thank Giorgio. He was the historic and unforgettable masseur of Roma. A man who for years with his hands, his commitment, his smile and above all his love for Roma accompanied moments of our sporting and human history. He did not cure us only physically but also mentally. To his family goes our closeness and the most sincere thanks of the entire community for what Giorgio gave to each of us." Righetti recalled his first encounter with Rossi: "Once the changing rooms between youth and first team were divided by the massage room. Giorgio gave massages there, sometimes I would pass by and look in and he would tell me 'it is not yet time, go go'... my greatest objective was to get on that bed. When I succeeded for the first time it was the most beautiful day of my life." Former Roma athletic trainer Vito Scala said: "He was a master for me, every day I stole with my eyes what he did and how he conducted himself. If I became Vito Scala it is thanks to him. Not only in the professional aspect, but in the human and protective aspect, he treated all the boys the same way." Bruno Conti concluded with a wish: "Giorgio was a great man, always smiling and never angry. My hope, even if I am no one to make this happen, is that we might name the physiotherapy centre at Trigoria after Giorgio Rossi." A film documenting Rossi's life, featuring testimonies from Giuseppe Giannini, Daniele De Rossi and Francesco Totti, is available for viewing during the exhibition.

Roma face Genoa on Saturday at 20:45 at the Olimpico, three days after a defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini said in his pre-match press conference: "We must broaden the squad. Now the young players must make us win." Gasperini will draw on Primavera reinforcements, with Panico highlighted as a midfield option. The first team faces forced selections in midfield and attack, with Soulé and Mora operating as playmakers behind Castro on the trequarti. Both were recruited for significant fees during the summer and are now expected to justify that investment immediately. Defenders Balerdi and Lulli will return to the starting line-up. Stephan El Shaarawy will feature in a significant personal moment on his return to Roma. The club has not won after the international break since 2024, a streak Gasperini's side will look to end.

Roma will face Genoa at the Stadio Olimpico on 17 October in Serie A matchday 8, with Daniele De Rossi in charge of the visiting side. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has named his squad, with Rodrigo Mora returning to the starting lineup after providing an assist in the Champions League against Real Madrid. Matías Soulé will play alongside the Portuguese midfielder, while Emanuele Lulli is expected to replace Nahuel Molina at left-back, with Wesley confirmed on the opposite flank. Pierluigi Gollini will start in goal behind a three-man defence of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso, with Leonardo Balerdi pressing for a place. Niccolò Pisilli and Marten de Roon complete the midfield four. Santiago Castro leads the attack. Roma's expected formation: 3-4-2-1.