Gasperini defends Malen's production as Roma prepare for Torino trip

Roma travel to face Torino on 14 September with a full squad as Gian Piero Gasperini insists he will not rest Paulo Dybala despite the recent Champions League commitments. The side sit top of Serie A after three matches unbeaten, and Gasperini dismissed suggestions of energy management, saying: "If he is well do you put him to sleep? You cannot predict injuries, we do not have a crystal ball. If someone is well they play and Paulo is well. All matches are hard; playing Torino is not easier than playing other sides." Donyell Malen has emerged as an exceptional performer, scoring 19 goals across 21 appearances since joining the club — a record that has exceeded initial expectations. Malen scored against Torino in January and now has a chance to break into rare air: the target is to surpass Francesco Totti and Manfredini, who each netted 6 goals after the first four matches of a season. Gasperini said of Malen: "I knew when we signed him that he would be important but we have gone beyond with the numbers." He brushed aside questions over Santiago Castro's role, noting: "If he becomes a starter then Malen becomes a reserve? Everyone is performing well; you will see the minutes increase. Castro has come on every time, and today we also recover Pellegrini who will be in the squad." The only doubt surrounds Manu Koné, who left the Istanbul fixture with a problem. Gasperini stated: "We will see how he is and decide," though Niccolò Pisilli is expected to deputise. Changes are anticipated at left-back, with either Leonardo Balerdi or Daniele Ghilardi replacing Gianluca Mancini, and Emanuele Lulli returning to the right side after recovering from intestinal flu. Gasperini sharply rebuked the narrative around starting players and substitutes: "I beg you to stop with the hierarchy talk, it is not fair to the players giving their all. There are no rejections of anyone. Otherwise we enter a mechanism of controversy that does the squad only damage. Even against Torino, 16 players will take the field as starters, not eleven." Gasperini also defended Marten de Roon after Atalanta supporters displayed a banner against him on Saturday, saying: "Leaving Atalanta was not his choice. What was he supposed to become? An old shoe shut in a cupboard?" The probable line-up: Svilar; Ghilardi, N'Dicka, Hermoso; Lulli, Cristante, Pisilli, Wesley; Mora; Dybala, Malen.

Gian Piero Gasperini has offered high praise for Rodrigo Mora following the Portuguese midfielder's summer arrival at Roma. Speaking ahead of the fixture against Torino, the head coach highlighted Mora's quality and the speed at which he has settled into the team's system. Mora has already scored once this season and is fitting well into Gasperini's setup, having joined late in the transfer window as Roma sought attacking reinforcements. Gasperini was effusive about Mora's potential and integration. "Mora is also a young man with a lot of talent. He needs to be completed physically and tactically," he said. The coach went on to stress the player's rapid adjustment: "He's only recently arrived but what he's shown from the start or during the match is the performance of a young man of great level." In even stronger terms, Gasperini declared: "I don't think there's a young man in the world who's more capable of being a protagonist than him right now." Mora has impressed as a reliable technician in the number ten role, finding space well and excelling at opening up defences. While not the quickest player, his technical ability has stood out in Roma's strong Serie A start this season. Playing alongside Paulo Dybala is expected to benefit his development further, with Gasperini's tactical system positioned to enhance his game.

Gian Piero Gasperini held his pre-match press conference ahead of tomorrow's visit to Torino, rejecting suggestions of a squad hierarchy. "Please stop talking about hierarchies, it's not fair to the players who are giving their all," he said. "It makes no sense for these players—they're all making an important contribution. Ghilardi is growing, there's Koulierakis." Emanuele Lulli will be available for selection after recovering from a virus intestinale (intestinal virus) that struck him in recent days; the 2007-born defender from Palestrina is expected to start. On Paulo Dybala's availability, Gasperini was blunt: "If he's well, he plays." The forward has been in excellent form and started in all four league matches so far this season. Lorenzo Pellegrini returns to the squad after his absence, a significant boost for Roma's midfield ahead of the trip to Turin.

Roma face Torino in Serie A on 14 September at 18:30, four days after their Champions League return, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini managing squad rotation following the trip to Istanbul. The starting XI appears largely settled, though midfield and the right flank remain open questions. Svilar will start in goal, with the familiar trio of Mancini, Ndicka and Hermoso in defence; Ghilardi is the alternative. Wesley is expected to hold the left-back spot, while the right side is contested between Lulli and Rensch, with Lulli marginally favoured, though Gasperini indicated in his press conference that his condition would need to be assessed before the match. The main shift could come in midfield. Manu Koné picked up a knee problem against Fenerbahçe, opening the door for Nicolò Pisilli to partner Bryan Cristante; Koné has attempted recovery and remains an option. Dybala and Donyell Malen are set pieces in attack, with Matías Soulé the likely choice to complete the forward line, while Rodrigo Mora stands ready either from the start or as an in-match solution. The probable Roma formation is 3-4-2-1: Svilar; Mancini, Ndicka, Hermoso; Lulli, Cristante, Pisilli, Wesley; Soulé, Dybala; Malen.

Roma travel to Turin on 14 September with their full squad available and Lorenzo Pellegrini in the matchday group for the first time this season after a lengthy absence. The squad selection remains fluid ahead of the fixture: the defence is expected to feature Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso, but uncertainty persists across the flanks, midfield and attack. Emanuele Lulli, Devyne Rensch and Nahuel Molina are competing for a starting place on the right, while Niccolò Pisilli and Manu Koné are in contention alongside Bryan Cristante in the middle. Up front, Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora are head-to-head for selection, though Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen are guaranteed starting positions. Roma carry an open run of eight consecutive Serie A victories into the match—five secured in the closing stages of last season and three in the opening rounds of the current campaign. Gian Piero Gasperini's side will pursue a ninth straight win to reclaim the league lead. The head coach faces a contrasting duel with opposing manager Ignazio Abate: Gasperini has 640 Serie A matches on his bench, placing him fifth in the all-time standings and closing in on Nils Liedholm's tally of 644. Abate, by contrast, is appearing in only his fourth Serie A match in charge. Roma Primavera, meanwhile, play at home today: at 15:00 they face Como at the Agostino Di Bartolomei ground in Trigoria, with coverage on Sportitalia. The youth side aim to remain unbeaten in the fourth matchday following a comeback victory in the Youth League against Fenerbahce. A starting confirmation is expected for Paratici with Morucci in attack, while Cama is highlighted among young players to watch closely.

Walter Sabatini, the legendary former Roma sporting director, has returned to football as a consultant at Pro Patria, the club where he finished his playing career 43 years ago. In an interview with Corriere della Sera, the 71-year-old reflected on his decision to re-enter the game and his enduring connection to Roma, where he recruited champions including Nainggolan, Dzeko, Pastore, Ilicic and Kolarov. Asked where he left his heart, Sabatini answered without hesitation: "Roma. It is my life, do not make me say anything else because I have developed a complex about being a boring man." On the prospect of working under Roma's current coach Gian Piero Gasperini, however, he was candid: "No. I have great admiration for his work as a coach but I would have come into collision course." Despite his age and health challenges, Sabatini said he feels the enthusiasm of his early days in the game. "Inside I feel the excitement of when I started working for Triestina and I was 39 years old," he said. "I would like to return to that phase of my life and create my own football laboratory." He acknowledged struggling at Pro Patria, where his dynamic ideas are not accommodated: "I need agility and speed. I am not hiding that I am finding myself uncomfortable and I do not want to waste my last years. I have entered the third, perhaps the fourth age." On evaluating talent, Sabatini insisted on trusting his eye rather than data analytics. "When I see a player I must feel something immediately at the first meeting. He must strike me like lightning. The only metric of evaluation I conceive is the eye, sensitivity, passion." Asked which player now moves him, he singled out Paulo Dybala: "A residual champion of our championship. In the Nineties we had Ronaldo, Platini, Rummenigge. Now of that lineage of phenomena, there is only Paulo in Serie A." He praised Como's Champions League debut display, saying the team displayed "a high level match proposing entertaining football and exalting its individuals." On the balance of power in Serie A, Sabatini noted that while "there is great euphoria in the Roma environment. A spiritual cohesion that makes everyone feel unbeatable," Inter stood above all others: "For the quality of the squad and depth of choices, Inter is a step above everyone." Sabatini expressed regret about his brief spell at Inter, saying he had been "a meteor—the inhabitants of the Earth did not even see me pass." He attributed the Nerazzurri's current strength to Chivu's pragmatism. Of himself, he reflected: "I am bulimic of life. A pity that my skeletal system does not assist my will. Every now and then I think back to my career and say to myself 'but you were an acrobat, not a sporting director'."

Roma face Torino in Serie A on 14 September at 18:30, four days after their Champions League return, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini managing squad rotation following the trip to Istanbul. The starting XI appears largely settled, though midfield and the right flank remain open questions. Svilar will start in goal, with the familiar trio of Mancini, Ndicka and Hermoso in defence; Ghilardi is the alternative. Wesley is expected to hold the left-back spot, while the right side is contested between Lulli and Rensch, with Lulli marginally favoured, though Gasperini indicated in his press conference that his condition would need to be assessed before the match. The main shift could come in midfield. Manu Koné picked up a knee problem against Fenerbahçe, opening the door for Nicolò Pisilli to partner Bryan Cristante; Koné has attempted recovery and remains an option. Dybala and Donyell Malen are set pieces in attack, with Matías Soulé the likely choice to complete the forward line, while Rodrigo Mora stands ready either from the start or as an in-match solution. The probable Roma formation is 3-4-2-1: Svilar; Mancini, Ndicka, Hermoso; Lulli, Cristante, Pisilli, Wesley; Soulé, Dybala; Malen.

Roma travel to Turin on 14 September with their full squad available and Lorenzo Pellegrini in the matchday group for the first time this season after a lengthy absence. The squad selection remains fluid ahead of the fixture: the defence is expected to feature Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso, but uncertainty persists across the flanks, midfield and attack. Emanuele Lulli, Devyne Rensch and Nahuel Molina are competing for a starting place on the right, while Niccolò Pisilli and Manu Koné are in contention alongside Bryan Cristante in the middle. Up front, Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora are head-to-head for selection, though Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen are guaranteed starting positions. Roma carry an open run of eight consecutive Serie A victories into the match—five secured in the closing stages of last season and three in the opening rounds of the current campaign. Gian Piero Gasperini's side will pursue a ninth straight win to reclaim the league lead. The head coach faces a contrasting duel with opposing manager Ignazio Abate: Gasperini has 640 Serie A matches on his bench, placing him fifth in the all-time standings and closing in on Nils Liedholm's tally of 644. Abate, by contrast, is appearing in only his fourth Serie A match in charge. Roma Primavera, meanwhile, play at home today: at 15:00 they face Como at the Agostino Di Bartolomei ground in Trigoria, with coverage on Sportitalia. The youth side aim to remain unbeaten in the fourth matchday following a comeback victory in the Youth League against Fenerbahce. A starting confirmation is expected for Paratici with Morucci in attack, while Cama is highlighted among young players to watch closely.

Roma travel to Torino on Monday 14 September—exactly one year after Torino beat Roma 1–0 at the Olimpico on the same date in 2025, when Giovanni Simeone scored in the 59th minute. The story has reversed since: Roma won 2–0 at the Grande Torino on 18 January this year through goals from Donyell Malen and Paulo Dybala, a return to the scene with the roles inverted. Torino has become a hunting ground for the Giallorossi. Roma have scored in all of their last 16 away matches at the Grande Torino, amassing 23 goals across those fixtures. To find Roma's last goalless away trip to Turin requires going back to a 0–0 draw on 16 December 2007. In the last five Serie A meetings between the clubs, Torino have managed only one goal—Zapata's strike in a 1–1 draw in September 2023. The all-time head-to-head record in 91 official meetings still favours the hosts: 38 Torino wins, 32 draws and 21 Roma victories. Torino remain Roma's most-played opponent in Serie A with 162 fixtures, yet Roma have recorded more wins against them than any other side—72 victories. Gasperini's Roma arrive with attacking numbers unprecedented in the modern era. They have scored 10 goals in their opening three league matches, a new record in the three-points-for-a-win era. The previous best was nine goals, achieved in 2000–01, 2003–04, 2016–17 and 2021–22. Nine points from nine in the first three games has not been matched since 2021–22 and represents only the sixth time Roma have taken maximum points from their first three matches since 2000–01. Malen has been central to that form: in the 2026 calendar year, the Dutch forward is Serie A's leading goalscorer with 19 goals in 20 appearances, averaging a goal every 92 minutes across 1,754 minutes played. He scored in that January victory at Torino. In the dugout, Ignazio Abate and Gian Piero Gasperini face each other in an official match for the first time as managers.

Roma radio commentators have weighed in on the club's fixture schedule and squad rotation ahead of the international break. Mario Mattioli of Radio Radio mattino argued that fatigue from Roma's Champions League match will not be a significant factor, saying: "I believe the physical impact of the Champions League match is relative; four days of rest are more than sufficient for properly trained athletes. The physical impact will not have an effect except perhaps in the first few minutes. I hope Castro is used as soon as possible—it would be a shame to let him lose his rhythm. I don't believe in tiredness anyway; Roma has the numbers to impose themselves, the players have adapted to Gasperini's system and the squad gives confidence." Roberto Pruzzo and Nando Orsi also addressed squad conditioning and selection priorities. Pruzzo noted that Paulo Dybala is in optimal condition after a good preparation period, and stressed the importance of depth: "Playing on Thursday and then in the league is complicated; there is a need for Castro and Mora to be able to change things." Orsi focused on Dybala's mental state and recovery, noting that Gasperini observes the player closely during the week and recognizes Dybala's current need for playing time. Mattioli's intervention reflects broader debate among Rome's radio commentariat about squad management under Gasperini, with Castro emerging as a key figure in rotation plans ahead of the international break.

Roma face Torino today with the chance to build momentum ahead of their Champions League fixture against Inter, according to analysis from several Italian radio commentators. Simone Valdarchi told Radio Manà Manà that Torino can create difficulties for Roma, and warned that the team must maintain focus rather than rebuild after the recent draw against Fenerbahçe. He stressed that today's match carries significant weight: "Roma-Inter will take on a different importance if you arrive at full points after four matches. The Torino match is a fundamental challenge if you want to enter the Champions League." Calendar distractions aside, Valdarchi believes players must concentrate solely on the Torino fixture. Gabriele Conflitti echoed the view that today represents an awkward assignment. "Dybala must not be treated as a display piece—he should play," Conflitti said on Radio Manà Manà. "Today is a tricky match. Torino have put us in difficulty many times down there. Abate coaches them well, especially physically." Piero Torri added: "I hope Castro scores, but the important thing is that you win against Torino today. Because if you take the victory home you go against Inter at full points: that's important." The commentators underlined that a win in Turin would leave Roma positioned ideally for the Inter encounter.

Roma travel to Turin today at 18:30 with a chance to extend their perfect start and claim a fourth consecutive Serie A win, holding top spot before the upcoming clash with Inter. Gasperini has made clear there will be no rotation or pre-planned rest periods, insisting that players who are fit will play. "One rests when they are tired. If someone is well, what do I do, put him to sleep?" the coach said, speaking chiefly about Paulo Dybala. The Argentine has started all four matches this season, completing the last two in full, and continues to serve as Roma's key playmaker with four assists already recorded in the opening three matches — though he remains without a league goal since a trip to Torino in January of last year. Dybala is expected to play from the start again, likely operating behind Donyell Malen. The Dutch forward made his Roma debut at the same Turin stadium and scored immediately, beginning a run that has established him as one of the squad's most effective attacking outlets. Gasperini's philosophy resists strict hierarchies; he has stated he has 20 players available and sees no problem fielding one or another depending on need. Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora are competing for space in midfield, with Santiago Castro available as an important option from the bench. The coach intends to use all five substitutions to manage energy without sacrificing quality in the starting eleven. The midfield has strengthened: Manu Koné has recovered from a knee issue sustained in Istanbul and is fit for selection, though he is managing ongoing inflammation that requires careful management. A contest with Niccolò Pisilli remains open, but Koné's return is a significant boost for the side's physicality and ability to break lines. More importantly, Lorenzo Pellegrini has returned to the squad for the first time this season after over five months out. He is not yet ready for full involvement and will be reintegrated gradually, but his availability is a milestone: Gasperini now has access to virtually his entire group. The coach has underlined his refusal to split the squad into fixed categories of starters and reserves, emphasizing that Champions League football demands everyone feels part of the project and ready to contribute when called upon. Roma arrive on a strong run: including the end of last season, they have won eight consecutive Serie A matches. Gasperini, however, resists letting that feed into complacency, keeping his focus on maintaining aggression, intensity and mental hunger. The objective remains the same: take the three points from Turin, keep hold of the table's summit, and face Inter fresh and on form.