Gasperini deploys stars for Fenerbahce; Dybala back to the side, Molina preferred on the right

Roma scouts were among those watching Porto against PSV Eindhoven at the Estádio do Dragão in the Champions League, as the club keeps working ahead of the January transfer window to strengthen Gian Piero Gasperini's squad. Sporting director D'Amico is looking for talent to complete the attack and the wide areas, where a left-sided midfield winger is still missing. Scouts from Everton, Manchester United, Brentford and Nottingham Forest were also present, according to English outlet Sport Witness. Many talents featured for PSV as well as for Porto, who are coached by Farioli. Among the possible targets Roma are monitoring is Sven Mijnans, an attacking midfielder born in 2000 who had already been followed in the summer. Also on the list is Bajraktarević, a Bosnian left-sided winger born in 2005. Roma will keep working on these ideas in the coming weeks, as a side that has made a top start still needs reinforcements. Porto's young standouts also drew attention. Oscar Pietuszewski, a right-footed winger born in 2008, is very young. Alberto Costa, a 23-year-old full-back, was close to joining Roma in January 2025.

Roma's defence has been named in the Sofascore Team of the Week for the latest Champions League round, with Mario Hermoso, Leonardo Balerdi and Daniele Ghilardi all selected and dominating the back line of the ideal side. The trio's performance earned the recognition after they kept a clean sheet against Slovan Bratislava, the club's first clean sheet in Europe this season, and gave nothing away to Yaya Touré's side. The spotlight on the defence comes as Roma prepare for a big match against Napoli, with the squad continuing its work at Trigoria. The back line has been one of the strengths of the start to the campaign, conceding just three goals in the first seven Serie A matches. The Italian report adds that the award reflects the solid form of a unit that has been central to Roma's strong start, with the three defenders combining for a shutout that underlined the club's improved resilience at the back. Roma are next in action against Napoli, with the squad focused on maintaining that defensive record.

Roma's central defenders Hermoso, Balerdi and Ghilardi have been named in Sofascore's Team of the Week for the latest Champions League round, after a performance that kept Slovan Bratislava out completely. The three Roma defenders gave away nothing to the side coached by Yaya Touré. Roma have conceded only three goals in their first seven Serie A matches, a record built on a back line that is growing more solid despite the absence of several players who were fundamental in recent years. The arrivals of Balerdi and Koulierakis, and the continued development of Ghilardi, have given Gasperini the option to rest two first-team regulars, Ndicka and Mancini. Sofascore's selection was described as deserved. The Team of the Week's defence, drawn from the best side in the League Phase, was dominated by Gasperini's Roma backline. The selection also includes attackers Doué, Nico Paz, Foden and Ngumoha from the wider group of top clubs in the competition.

Matías Soulé has been entrusted with Roma's attacking play for the trip to the Maradona, with Gian Piero Gasperini relying on him as the last available genuine creative option. Paulo Dybala is absent, and Lorenzo Pellegrini is injured, leaving the attack severely depleted for what is billed as a championship supermatch. According to Il Messaggero, Roma are rallying around their last available true playmaker. With the injury list full and the attack stripped bare, Gasperini is placing his faith entirely in Soulé, who must carry the team in a setting that holds particular meaning for him. It was at Napoli a year ago that his outstanding start to the previous season was abruptly halted by a fierce groin injury (pubalgia), which forced months of pain, time on the bench and rest after a start of seven goals and seven assists. Despite a summer dominated by transfer speculation and the possibility of a sale, Soulé has won back the trust of the club's environment and reclaimed his place in the side through his performances. Now, without his usual partners, he is ready to take centre stage: he must play in Donyell Malen and lead the team on a night that carries the feel of a major test.

Former Roma defender Zago believes Roma and Inter will fight for the Scudetto, and that Gian Piero Gasperini's side have everything needed to bring the title back to the capital, he told Il Tempo. Napoli and Roma are going through two very different moments, and Zago was asked who he sees as the favourite for the clash. Zago said: "If the match had been at the Olimpico, I would have told you Roma would win 100%. At the Maradona it will be a bit more difficult, Napoli will do everything to get out of this difficult situation. For them it can be the match that turns things around." Asked what Gasperini has brought that is different, he credited a winning mentality. "He works a huge amount, he bases his game on intensity and triangular play. I consider him one of the three best coaches of recent years. For me, moreover, Roma have done an excellent market this summer." Zago was also asked whether Gasperini should trust Rodrigo Mora at Napoli. "I believe Mora can be the ideal replacement for Dybala. He has started well, showing he is a strong player." On Endrick, he said: "He still has to fully prove his value and find his ideal role on the pitch. He would suit Roma, and I have no doubt he would grow a lot working with Gasperini."

Rodrigo Mora is being handed greater responsibility after Lorenzo Pellegrini's injury, which could keep the midfielder out until 2027 with a high-grade tear to his right thigh. Roma face Napoli at the Maradona tomorrow, and Mora is set to play alongside Matías Soulé behind centre-forward Donyell Malen, as Paulo Dybala is also sidelined with a calf injury. Coach Gian Piero Gasperini must now reshape his plan for Mora, whose game time has so far been gradual. In Serie A he has played an average of 46 minutes per match, according to Niccolò Maurelli writing in Repubblica. Mora now wants to take control of the attacking department and become Malen's new focal point. The two already share a strong understanding, as shown against Real at the Olimpico, when the Portuguese set up the striker for the goal that made it 2-1 for the time being. Mora will need to quickly absorb the tactical idea of the coach, who wants him to be more decisive in front of goal.

Matías Soulé has been entrusted with Roma's attacking play for the trip to the Maradona, with Gian Piero Gasperini relying on him as the last available genuine creative option. Paulo Dybala is absent, and Lorenzo Pellegrini is injured, leaving the attack severely depleted for what is billed as a championship supermatch. According to Il Messaggero, Roma are rallying around their last available true playmaker. With the injury list full and the attack stripped bare, Gasperini is placing his faith entirely in Soulé, who must carry the team in a setting that holds particular meaning for him. It was at Napoli a year ago that his outstanding start to the previous season was abruptly halted by a fierce groin injury (pubalgia), which forced months of pain, time on the bench and rest after a start of seven goals and seven assists. Despite a summer dominated by transfer speculation and the possibility of a sale, Soulé has won back the trust of the club's environment and reclaimed his place in the side through his performances. Now, without his usual partners, he is ready to take centre stage: he must play in Donyell Malen and lead the team on a night that carries the feel of a major test.

Rodrigo Mora is being handed greater responsibility after Lorenzo Pellegrini's injury, which could keep the midfielder out until 2027 with a high-grade tear to his right thigh. Roma face Napoli at the Maradona tomorrow, and Mora is set to play alongside Matías Soulé behind centre-forward Donyell Malen, as Paulo Dybala is also sidelined with a calf injury. Coach Gian Piero Gasperini must now reshape his plan for Mora, whose game time has so far been gradual. In Serie A he has played an average of 46 minutes per match, according to Niccolò Maurelli writing in Repubblica. Mora now wants to take control of the attacking department and become Malen's new focal point. The two already share a strong understanding, as shown against Real at the Olimpico, when the Portuguese set up the striker for the goal that made it 2-1 for the time being. Mora will need to quickly absorb the tactical idea of the coach, who wants him to be more decisive in front of goal.

Rodrigo Mora is set to be handed a starting role for Roma's difficult away trip to Napoli at the Maradona, with Lorenzo Pellegrini injured and Paulo Dybala continuing to struggle with physical problems. According to La Repubblica, the emergency that has decimated Roma's attack gives the young Portuguese playmaker the chance to become a central figure on the night. Mora is expected to line up alongside Matías Soulé in the attacking midfield behind Donyell Malen. Until now he has been eased in gradually and has played only a handful of minutes in the league. He will need to show the maturity required to carry the weight of Roma's build-up play, and he can build on the understanding he has already shown with Malen in Europe against Real Madrid. To strengthen the trust of Gian Piero Gasperini, Mora must also improve in front of goal, increasing his effectiveness and adding to his goal tally. It is an important test, and a night that could mark his definitive arrival at the heart of the Giallorossi project. The report puts Mora's opportunity squarely in the context of Roma's injury problems in attack. Pellegrini's absence and Dybala's recurring fitness issues have left Gasperini with limited options, and the match at the Maradona is a demanding assignment for a player still building his place in the side.

Former Roma midfielder Angelo Di Livio, speaking to Retesport, said he likes the idea of playing Wesley further forward against Napoli, with Molina dropping deeper on the same flank. Di Livio believes Gasperini will be missing two important players, including Dybala, and he questioned Lorenzo Pellegrini's latest injury, asking what fault the player had for having to stop again. Di Livio said Cristante is not well and does not think he can start. He expects Gasperini to have prepared alternative plans in midfield to cover the absences. The attacking absences of Pellegrini and Dybala in the final third are what make the idea of Wesley further up the pitch appealing to him. Di Livio expects Evan Lulli...

Roma's injury crisis deepened as Lorenzo Pellegrini was lost against Slovan Bratislava, adding to a growing list of absentees ahead of the trip to Napoli. Gasperini is working through his options for the Maradona fixture, with Malen and Soulé almost certain to start, but the final place in the attacking midfield remains open. The Pellegrini injury is already the seventh muscular injury of the season, on top of a bone-related problem suffered by Svilar. Dybala and Koné are also on the treatment list. Rodrigo Mora has not convinced, particularly in terms of attitude, in the recent games against Genoa and Slovan Bratislava, which has opened the door for Bryan Cristante, who has just returned from a knee problem. Cristante has not played since 19 September against Inter, just over a month ago, and his availability will be decisive. If he is not fit to start, Mora would almost certainly be given the nod from the first minute, as the pairing of Castro and Malen is not part of Gasperini's plans for a game of this importance. Gasperini has emergency alternatives. He could push Mancini or Hermoso into midfield, or use Wesley as an attacking winger, a solution already seen during a match last season, with Lulli and Molina then occupying the flanks. Napoli, who appear to have found a new balance in recent outings with De Bruyne dropping into the holding role, are just two days away from the clash at the Maradona, and Gasperini still has plenty of selection questions to resolve.

Roma's injury crisis is opening a door for Rodrigo Mora, with the Portuguese midfielder set to be given a starting chance as Gasperini looks for answers after the 4-0 Champions League win over Slovan. Lorenzo Pellegrini has joined a growing injury list that already includes Mile Svilar, Manu Koné and Paulo Dybala, and the first checks offer little hope of a quick return: he is expected to be out for around a month, though the official extent of the problem will only be confirmed after an MRI scan. Roma are averaging two injuries a week. With Pellegrini sidelined, Gasperini has only Matías Soulé and Mora as specialist attacking midfielders for Saturday's trip to Napoli at the Maradona. Dybala is targeting a return for the match at Udinese, while Bryan Cristante is back in the squad but needs to regain match rhythm. The head coach has backed Mora since his arrival, but his performances have been more subdued in recent starts. After an excellent cameo against Real Madrid, he appeared more in the shadows when starting against Genoa and Slovan. Gasperini expects more concrete answers from him, and Napoli could be the chance to take a step forward and earn a regular place. The night in Bratislava was otherwise a positive one for the Giallorossi. Donyell Malen impressed with his goalscoring, Daniele Ghilardi was reliable at the back, Wesley showed renewed energy and Nahuel Molina scored his first goal for the club. Gasperini can take pride in having built a side with a strong identity, but the injury problem is the main concern. A decision on whether to start Mora alongside Soulé will be central to the coming fixture.