Gasperini gets fresh haircut ahead of Inter clash, stresses that details make the difference

Roma have no injury concerns over Mario Hermoso ahead of Saturday's big match against Inter, with the defender set to be available for Gasperini to deploy against Chivu's attack. Hermoso will line up alongside Gianluca Mancini, with Leonardo Balerdi candidating for a starting spot after impressing in early appearances and set to compete with Evan N'Dicka for the centre-back role in the coming days. Gasperini is preparing multiple tactical options for the fixture. Emanuele Lulli could feature to counter Dimarco's threat, while Niccolò Pisilli might operate in a more advanced role on the trequarti, and Nahuel Molina could be deployed on the left wing. In a wide-ranging interview, the Roma head coach addressed the scudetto ambition, saying: "It is not this way of raising the bar. The bar is not raised by setting more or less achievable objectives: it is raised by improving every day, working on ourselves through this variety of players with all their own characteristics, trying to do better each time. Objectives can only be discussed after about twenty matches."

Gian Piero Gasperini has urged Roma to focus on daily improvement rather than chase trophy talk after a perfect start to the season. Speaking to Sky Sport ahead of the Inter fixture, the coach said: "I hoped for it more than I expected it. Today we are a squad that knows itself better than at the start of last season and we have already assimilated many things." On title ambitions, he was emphatic: "The bar does not rise by setting objectives, but by improving every day. You can only talk of targets after around twenty matches." Gasperini praised Leonardo Balerdi's immediate impact as a professional "ready to contribute straight away" and highlighted the group's balance: "The young players bring freshness, the more experienced are an example every day. It is a squad that feeds itself." Mario Hermoso trained fully with the group on 17 September after undergoing differentiated work the previous day for a mild ankle contusion, and is on course to be available for the match against Inter on Saturday 19 September at 18:00 at the Stadio Olimpico. Gasperini spoke of upcoming fixtures against Inter, Como and Real Madrid, saying: "We have earned the chance to face these teams. They will be important matches to understand what we are truly capable of." Rodrigo Mora, who arrived from Porto in the summer, has already won over supporters. The Portuguese midfielder scored his first Serie A goal against Lecce and told Sky Sport of his reasons for joining: "Roma is a very prestigious club and the style of play it proposes was one of the main reasons why I chose to come. Playing in the Champions League is an important step for my career." On his relationship with Gasperini, Mora added: "He is a very demanding coach with the whole squad, but that pushes you to grow every day." Reflecting on his first goal in giallorosso colours, he said: "It was a special moment. I like to score, but my aim is above all to help the team with goals, assists and everything needed to win."

Roma occupy 11th place in Serie A's squad age rankings after the opening fixtures, with an average age of 26 years and 75 days. Gian Piero Gasperini's side sits near the middle of the league's age table, reflecting the varied demographic approaches taken by Serie A's managers this season. The spread across Italian football is significant, with Napoli fielding the oldest average starting XI in their match against Bologna at the Maradona, while Monza have selected the youngest. Como are also distinguished by their youthful squad composition. Roma's placement reflects a balanced approach, their average age sitting just above 26 years. The variation across the league's opening matches shows clear strategic differences in how clubs have constructed their squads for the 2026–27 campaign.

Roma have no injury concerns over Mario Hermoso ahead of Saturday's big match against Inter, with the defender set to be available for Gasperini to deploy against Chivu's attack. Hermoso will line up alongside Gianluca Mancini, with Leonardo Balerdi candidating for a starting spot after impressing in early appearances and set to compete with Evan N'Dicka for the centre-back role in the coming days. Gasperini is preparing multiple tactical options for the fixture. Emanuele Lulli could feature to counter Dimarco's threat, while Niccolò Pisilli might operate in a more advanced role on the trequarti, and Nahuel Molina could be deployed on the left wing. In a wide-ranging interview, the Roma head coach addressed the scudetto ambition, saying: "It is not this way of raising the bar. The bar is not raised by setting more or less achievable objectives: it is raised by improving every day, working on ourselves through this variety of players with all their own characteristics, trying to do better each time. Objectives can only be discussed after about twenty matches."

Gian Piero Gasperini has urged Roma to focus on daily improvement rather than chase trophy talk after a perfect start to the season. Speaking to Sky Sport ahead of the Inter fixture, the coach said: "I hoped for it more than I expected it. Today we are a squad that knows itself better than at the start of last season and we have already assimilated many things." On title ambitions, he was emphatic: "The bar does not rise by setting objectives, but by improving every day. You can only talk of targets after around twenty matches." Gasperini praised Leonardo Balerdi's immediate impact as a professional "ready to contribute straight away" and highlighted the group's balance: "The young players bring freshness, the more experienced are an example every day. It is a squad that feeds itself." Mario Hermoso trained fully with the group on 17 September after undergoing differentiated work the previous day for a mild ankle contusion, and is on course to be available for the match against Inter on Saturday 19 September at 18:00 at the Stadio Olimpico. Gasperini spoke of upcoming fixtures against Inter, Como and Real Madrid, saying: "We have earned the chance to face these teams. They will be important matches to understand what we are truly capable of." Rodrigo Mora, who arrived from Porto in the summer, has already won over supporters. The Portuguese midfielder scored his first Serie A goal against Lecce and told Sky Sport of his reasons for joining: "Roma is a very prestigious club and the style of play it proposes was one of the main reasons why I chose to come. Playing in the Champions League is an important step for my career." On his relationship with Gasperini, Mora added: "He is a very demanding coach with the whole squad, but that pushes you to grow every day." Reflecting on his first goal in giallorosso colours, he said: "It was a special moment. I like to score, but my aim is above all to help the team with goals, assists and everything needed to win."

Leonardo Balerdi has become the focal point of Roma's preparation for Saturday's clash with Inter at the Olimpico after an impressive display on Monday against Torino in place of Evan N'Dicka. His convincing performance prompted Gasperini to view the Argentine defender as a potential starter against the Serie A champions, a promotion that has raised competitive intensity across the defence and the wider squad. Gasperini's team selection will be shaped by who delivers the strongest performances in training at Trigoria: those who maintain full commitment and maximum effort will earn starting places. The likely starting formation will closely resemble the strongest XI fielded last season, built around the established core players. The returning absentees from Monday—N'Dicka, Wesley, and Manu Koné—are set to come back into contention. The intriguing tactical question centres on the left-back slot, where teenage defender Emanuele Lulli has emerged as the focus of recent debate. Lulli's physical test results place him ahead of Nahuel Molina, making him the favourite to start, provided Gasperini prioritises the pace and pressing strength needed to contain Inter's left-side playmaker Dimarco. A third option exists: Wesley deployed on the right with Molina on the left, a setup already tested in training. Elsewhere, Mario Hermoso will mark Nicolò Barella, while Niccolò Pisilli is warming up for a potential late-match impact.