Gasperini converts Molina: the Argentine world champion finds new offensive weapon on the left

Roma head into the international break with their whole squad available to Gian Piero Gasperini, and the fixture list is now working in their favour. The club have played nine matches in 27 days, and a run of more winnable games is set to follow. This Saturday Sassuolo visit the Stadio Olimpico, a side in serious crisis with coach Aquilani reportedly at risk of being dismissed despite a strong start to the season. The break comes at a crucial moment for Roma, allowing Gasperini to gradually bring back all of his injured players. Manu Koné and Paulo Dybala both hope to be available in two days' time, but after a month out both will certainly be ready for the trip to Parma. Mile Svilar returns in goal at the Tardini. Devyne Rensch, who is dealing with an adductor strain, undergoes instrumental tests today and has two weeks to return to full availability. The next league fixtures for Malen and his team are, on paper at least, easier: Sassuolo, Parma, Monza and Bologna in a row. That gives Roma the chance to build a winning run before the derby against Lazio. In between come the daunting trip to Paris and the Champions League clash with Sporting CP.

Lorenzo Pisilli's strong start to the season has earned him a place in the Italy squad, with Italy coach Roberto Mancini reportedly set to call him up for the Nations League fixtures against France and Belgium, according to Il Messaggero. Pisilli has also won the trust of Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, despite a poor display in Manchester. Gianluca Mancini and Daniele Ghilardi are also possible call-ups from Roma, according to the report. Bryan Cristante's involvement is in doubt. The squad list for the double header, which decides qualification for the Nations League quarter-finals, is expected to be announced today. The Manchester performance did not overshadow what the report describes as a season started at a high level by Pisilli. The Italian daily says the 2026-27 campaign has been a strong one for the midfielder, who has earned the confidence of both his club boss and the national team coach.

Roma are reflecting on a narrow defeat at Manchester United's Old Trafford, with Corriere della Sera highlighting both the individual progress within Gian Piero Gasperini's squad and the structural limits of a group that must compete on three fronts. Those limits, the report says, will require corrections in the January transfer window. Matías Soulé, now a key technical reference on the right side of the attack, is among the bright spots, along with the impact of Malen, who has produced important numbers in the giallorossi shirt, and the consistent form of Ndicka. However, a thin squad and an injury crisis have restricted Gasperini's rotations and exposed the gap with the top sides on Europe's biggest stages. The difficulties against the Red Devils were made worse by heavy absences in goal and in midfield. The club's management and Tony D'Amico, who is already working to identify the profiles needed in January, are reportedly targeting a midfielder and a left-sided winger to give Gasperini the alternatives he has asked for. The squad has returned to Trigoria to prepare for the Serie A clash with Sassuolo. The medical staff are monitoring Manu Koné, who is aiming for a rapid recovery, while the goalkeeping situation centres on Gollini, who is dealing with a back problem, with Colombian Devis Vásquez ready to step in again.

Roma have suffered another defensive setback as Devyne Rensch has sustained a slight tear to the adductor muscle in his right thigh, Gian Piero Gasperini's side confirmed after the Dutch full-back underwent scans. The injury came during Roma's demanding Champions League trip to Manchester United, where Rensch came on at Old Trafford before being forced off in the 21st minute to make way for Lulli. The defender is expected to be sidelined for around three weeks, meaning he will miss Roma's upcoming official fixtures. He will definitely miss the home Serie A match against Sassuolo at the Stadio Olimpico and the away trip to Parma on the return from the international break. The medical staff's aim is to get him back in time for the high-profile Champions League clash away to PSG on 25 November, or for the home match against Monza. Rensch's absence reduces Gasperini's options on the flanks. In the short term, the coach will lean heavily on Wesley França and Molina, while also considering a full return to action for the club's young players to help cover the emergency at full-back.

Italian radio pundits were scathing the morning after Roma lost to Manchester United in the Champions League, with the second half at the centre of the debate. Roma led 2-1 at one stage, and Roberto Pruzzo said the collapse came after the team had been strong. Gianluca Piacentini of Rete Sport said the performance resembled Roma's displays against Real Madrid and Inter: "This is a team with dramatic highs where if the opponent is Udinese or Lecce you hit them for four and then manage, if it's Inter you hit them twice and then draw, but if you play Real or Manchester United at home in the end you lose." He added: "Until January we have to take the good and the bad of this team." The analysis from Rete Sport's Checco Oddo Casano focused on squad depth. He said: "If you'd had another Konè, which you don't have now, and a fast attacker like Gervinho, which you still don't have, you would have rebalanced the match with the substitutions." He added that conceding goals at 2-0 has "now become a trend", linking it to the squad's overall value and shortcomings more than to the coach and players' attitude. Fabio Petruzzi said the first half had been stellar, with Roma conceding nothing, but that the second half changed everything. He said Gasperini "will have to understand the reasons", and that Roma lack "the second weapon" needed to press when they are ahead. Mario Corsi of Tele Radio Stereo was blunt: "Manchester United have won only one league match, in August. After that they have never won again." He said Roma had "not shot once" and had won no corners in the second half. Corsi criticised Balerdi for losing concentration, saying he was the reason Roma conceded two goals, and said young players "can't play in certain fields yet". Francesca Ferrazza said Roma should not be in the competition at all: "You have to leave this Cup, you shouldn't even go to the playoff, it's not your thing." She argued the Champions League drained energy needed for the league, adding: "Roma are an inexperienced side who crumble at the first difficulty." Lorenzo Pes said: "The Roma tempo never slows down, and 8 times out of 10 that works, but when you reach the big matches you never achieve success." Piero Torri said the squad was short, with four players missing, and questioned the substitutions. He said he would have brought on Molina over Lulli, and felt the timing of Mora's change was wrong. Torri also raised a refereeing complaint, saying the referee had invented the penalty and then ordered it retaken: "Is the VAR in some pub in Manchester?" Nando Orsi raised the issue of physical condition, noting Roma's Sunday and Wednesday fixtures, and said Gasperini deserved some criticism. Mario Mattioli said he had expected a heavy win, but the second half "started badly". He said De Roon was left alone at one point, Pisilli was not where he should be, and Maguire led the United comeback. Mattioli said the problem was mainly mental, and that the coach had not prepared his side for United's assault.

Radio pundits in Rome have been dissecting Roma's defeat to Manchester United, with the recurring criticism centred on the team's collapse after half-time. Several commentators argued that Roma led 2-0 and then let the lead slip, and that the problem is structural rather than a matter of one refereeing decision. Radio Radio's Ferrajolo said the key issue was not the penalty episodes but the pattern: "Roma were a great team in the first half and an unwatchable one in the second. Every time they go ahead they get pegged back. It is normal that you are winning 2-0 and you bring on a midfielder. The side was beautiful in the first half and unwatchable in the second. Since it is not the first time this has happened, we need to understand the problem." He also questioned the referee's handling of the penalty, saying the official was "too precise" when he ordered the spot-kick retaken, and criticised Maguire, whom he described as behaving like a wrestler. Verdenelli of Radio Bruno said the team struggles in big matches but that analysing the game fully was impossible because the referee had "literally distorted" the match with the penalty and a red card that was not shown. Luca Ferri of Radio Bruno said he was not angry about the result and was more concerned with the reasons behind the "blackouts" in the opening 20 minutes of every second half, adding: "There is a lot of work to do, but I am confident about the rest of the league campaign." Torri, speaking to Radio Manà Manà Sport, said the referee had weighed heavily on the result, but argued that Roma had perhaps chosen a low profile given their situation with UEFA. "Can you imagine Mourinho last night? He would have exploded. Roma have a short squad and often the substitutions do not maintain the level of quality. When you play games of this level, which wear you down mentally more than physically, you need the right changes. The absence of Koné and Svilar is devastating." Matera said Roma lost their shape after going 2-0 up by bringing on an extra midfielder, adding: "Roma are not capable of managing it, and Pisilli was running around aimlessly. I don't think it was a physical problem, Roma collapsed mentally." He also said Balerdi had played a great game before making an error that showed something was wrong. Carina of Radio Radio Mattino said: "This Roma in the Champions League is not enough. In Serie A they are overwhelming and can even do without three key players like Svilar, Koné and Dybala. In Europe, unfortunately, it lasts an hour. In these games you cannot concede anything, even against a Manchester side in great difficulty. Roma's flaw was closing the first half with only a two-goal lead." Pruzzo said: "I don't know how United managed to get back into the game. The penalty decision conditioned the course of the match. At 2-1 the difference between a great team and one that still has to grow to compete at the highest level emerged. In Italy you cannot beat teams of your own level, while in Europe you lose to superior ones. The substitutions brought nothing. Indeed, they made the situation worse." Orsi said: "Perhaps it is a question of physical stamina. In Italy the dips are not seen, abroad they hurt you. Gasperini should face some criticism: against Real Madrid three goals from corners, not to mention yesterday and Inter. He is not untouchable, he too makes mistakes." The commentators disagreed on the penalty and the referee, with Agresti saying the spot-kick could have been withheld while agreeing with the retake, and Camelio arguing that Manchester United had been dead before the second goal. Camelio said Lulli was not ready and that Molina, who has more experience, should have been used, while disagreeing that fatigue was the cause because Roma had run. Agresti warned that letting Manchester United back into the game changed everything, saying the match turned around once they returned.

Emanuele Lulli has been one of the surprises of the season, and Gian Piero Gasperini is the coach who insisted on keeping him at Roma and turning him into one of the most interesting wingers in Serie A. After just seven matches in the giallorossi shirt, Lulli has already shown he has what it takes to establish himself: he runs, he fights, he scores and he creates goals for team-mates. He is a complete winger who makes an impact in both phases of play, giving Gasperini exactly what he was looking for. For the coach, it is a return to familiar ground. At Roma he has found the wide players he likes, the same kind that allowed him to build a side capable of making the difference at Bergamo. The greatest credit, though, goes to Gasperini for believing in Lulli when others might have let him go. Looking back shows how much has changed. Turkish full-back Zeki Çelik, who played in that role, collected two goals in 151 appearances for Roma. Lulli needed just seven matches to match that tally. The article describes that gap as enormous, and it says it reflects the weight of this new bet on the young player. Çelik's departure to Juventus, which initially looked hard to swallow, now takes on a different meaning, described as a genuine sliding door moment for the giallorossi season. Roma have found a new protagonist, Gasperini has another winger to back, and the fans have a young player to cherish. Lulli comes from Palestrina, is a 2007-born player and has a world of opportunity ahead of him. Above all, the article concludes, he has already found his place: at Roma, his team.

Roma lost Celik in the transfer market, a departure that many considered painful, but the positive side has been the emergence of Pierluigi Lulli, who has moved from the Primavera to scoring his first Serie A goal. The development has been described as the defining 'sliding door' of the window. The Italian coverage frames Lulli's breakthrough as the positive counterweight to losing Zeki Çelik, whose exit was widely viewed as a painful one for the club. Lulli's first league goal marks a significant step for a player who has come through the youth ranks to the first team. The report was published on 19 October 2026 and is headlined around the idea that Lulli is the key figure to emerge from the market, as Roma look to build on his progress.

Roma's full-backs have become a cornerstone of Gian Piero Gasperini's push to the top of Serie A, a marked shift from last season when they proved problematic. Wesley and Nahuel Molina are now among the club's key strengths, and both will start when Roma resume the league campaign against Como, where they will face manager Fabregas. The turnaround reflects Gasperini's tactical evolution since arriving at the club: in his first season, Wesley was the only defender fully convincing on the flanks, while Zeki Çelik had to make do elsewhere. Now the picture is entirely different. Gasperini has uncovered Emanuele Lulli in the course of the season, and Molina has gradually built his fitness, delivering quality and assists to Roma's attacking phase. For the Como fixture, Gasperini plans to deploy Molina on the right and Wesley on the left. The selection reflects not just Roma's attacking ambitions but also Gasperini's defensive strategy: by using two attacking full-backs, he aims to stretch Como's wide players—Baturina on one flank and Diao on the other—and occupy them throughout the match. Wesley, the more naturally offensive of the pair, will be tasked with driving forward and supporting the build-up play. Molina is likely to carry greater defensive responsibility, balancing his own contributions with the need to contain Como's threats on the wing.

Roma have suffered another defensive setback as Devyne Rensch has sustained a slight tear to the adductor muscle in his right thigh, Gian Piero Gasperini's side confirmed after the Dutch full-back underwent scans. The injury came during Roma's demanding Champions League trip to Manchester United, where Rensch came on at Old Trafford before being forced off in the 21st minute to make way for Lulli. The defender is expected to be sidelined for around three weeks, meaning he will miss Roma's upcoming official fixtures. He will definitely miss the home Serie A match against Sassuolo at the Stadio Olimpico and the away trip to Parma on the return from the international break. The medical staff's aim is to get him back in time for the high-profile Champions League clash away to PSG on 25 November, or for the home match against Monza. Rensch's absence reduces Gasperini's options on the flanks. In the short term, the coach will lean heavily on Wesley França and Molina, while also considering a full return to action for the club's young players to help cover the emergency at full-back.

Rodrigo Mora has spoken highly of Brazilian defender Wesley after Roma's 3-2 defeat at Manchester United, saying the 22-year-old will reach the highest level of the game. Speaking to TNT Sports after the match, Mora said Wesley had produced another excellent performance. Mora was asked whether he and Wesley talk often, partly because of the language link. He said they share the same language, which helps them communicate, and that they both follow Brazil and Brazilian football closely. Mora said: "Yes, I think today Wesley played another great match. He is a great player and he will reach the highest level of football. We mainly talk about Brazil and Brazilian football, which we both follow. The language, of course, helps us a lot. He has given me a great hand in this welcome to Roma and I am really grateful to him for that."

Roma lost 3-2 at Manchester United's Old Trafford in a group-stage match. Rodrigo Mora was one of the Giallorossi's standout players, producing an excellent first half and providing an assist for Soulé before being replaced by Pisilli at the start of the second half. After the final whistle, Mora spoke to TNT Sports Brasil about his relationship with Wesley in the dressing room. He was asked whether he and his team-mate talk often, language considered, and what he thinks of Wesley as a player. Mora said the two of them share a common interest in Brazil and Brazilian football, which they both follow closely, and that the shared language helps them a great deal. Mora said: "Yes, I think today Wesley played another great match. He is a great player and he will reach the highest levels of football. We talk mostly about Brazil and Brazilian football, which we both follow. The language, of course, helps us a lot. He has given me a great hand in this welcome to Roma and I am really grateful to him for that."