Gasperini names Roma squad for Borussia Dortmund friendly; Koné returns

Roma have named their squad for tomorrow's friendly against Borussia Dortmund at 17:30, the final pre-season match following warm-up games against Trastevere, Primavera, Cannes, Cardiff, Newport and Brighton. The Giallorossi will fly to Germany on 14 August, with the match taking place on Ferragosto (15 August). Molina earns his first call-up and is available to head coach Gasperini, while Koné returns to the squad. Absent through injury are Pisilli and Pellegrini; Wesley is also ruled out with a mild ankle sprain. Academy player Morucci has been included in the attacking contingent. The 24-man squad includes three goalkeepers—De Marzi, Gollini and Svilar—and a broad defensive line featuring Rensch, Koulierakis, N'Dicka, Molina, Hermoso, Mancini, Ziólkowski, Mannini, Reale, Lulli and Ghilardi. Cristante, El Aynaoui and Koné form the midfield core, while the attack comprises Castro, Malen, Soulé, Dybala, Vaz and Morucci. The squad depth reflects Roma's preparation for the new season amid the pre-campaign injury list.

Roma face Borussia Dortmund in their final pre-season friendly on Saturday 15 August at 17:30 in Germany. The match carries the flavour of a Champions League encounter for the Giallorossi and will be broadcast live exclusively on DAZN. Molina will make his debut in the fixture, while Koné returns to action. Pisilli and Pellegrini are ruled out through injury. The friendly serves as the final preparation before Roma's Serie A campaign begins on Monday 24 August against Fiorentina. To watch the match on television, viewers will need a DAZN subscription and can access it via smart TV apps, gaming consoles including Xbox and PlayStation, or alternative devices such as Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast, and TIM VISION Box. Live coverage will also be available through Forzaroma.info's live blog and updates on Roma's social media channels including Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Roma continue to pursue Rodrigo Mora in an active transfer window, with sporting director D'Amico also evaluating alternative targets. According to Sportitalia, Lyon's Fofana is among the backup options; the French club has lowered its asking price and Roma will turn to the Belgian midfielder if talks over Mora break down. Nkunku, who was sought by Roma in January, remains under consideration, but a swap involving Matías Soulé has been ruled out. Soulé continues to attract interest from AC Milan. Nkunku faces significant competition for his signature, having fallen out of favour under Amorim's management, and several foreign clubs have made enquiries. Gasperini awaits the forward reinforcement he requires, having hoped to secure the player before mid-August, though further patience will be necessary.

Roma have named their squad for tomorrow's friendly against Borussia Dortmund at 17:30, the final pre-season match following warm-up games against Trastevere, Primavera, Cannes, Cardiff, Newport and Brighton. The Giallorossi will fly to Germany on 14 August, with the match taking place on Ferragosto (15 August). Molina earns his first call-up and is available to head coach Gasperini, while Koné returns to the squad. Absent through injury are Pisilli and Pellegrini; Wesley is also ruled out with a mild ankle sprain. Academy player Morucci has been included in the attacking contingent. The 24-man squad includes three goalkeepers—De Marzi, Gollini and Svilar—and a broad defensive line featuring Rensch, Koulierakis, N'Dicka, Molina, Hermoso, Mancini, Ziólkowski, Mannini, Reale, Lulli and Ghilardi. Cristante, El Aynaoui and Koné form the midfield core, while the attack comprises Castro, Malen, Soulé, Dybala, Vaz and Morucci. The squad depth reflects Roma's preparation for the new season amid the pre-campaign injury list.

Roma are closing in on Inter winger Luis Henrique as the club accelerates its summer recruitment drive. The Giallorossi have tabled an offer of €28 million plus bonuses, narrowing the gap with Inter's €30 million valuation of the Brazilian. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini views Henrique as the ideal profile to provide balance across Roma's flanks, given his ability to operate on either wing. The move is described as being on the verge of completion, pending only the player's final approval. The Henrique pursuit forms part of a broader strategy to strengthen Roma's wide options. The club has already agreed a verbal deal with Porto for playmaker Rodrigo Mora on a loan arrangement worth €7 million with a fixed purchase option set at €43 million. Gasperini has identified both moves as priorities to build a squad combining creativity and solidity in the attacking lanes. The existing wide contingent includes Wesley, Nahuel Molina, and Devyne Rensch. With these final pieces in place and the gradual return of internationals such as Manu Koné, Gasperini's tactical blueprint is taking shape ahead of the season's opening fixture.

Rodrigo Mora has completed his move to Roma from Porto, becoming the club's fourth acquisition of the summer after Castro, Koulierakis, and Molina. The transfer was secured via a loan with an obligation to purchase, with the deal structured to protect Roma's financial flexibility. Negotiations with Porto, brokered by agent Jorge Mendes, concluded with the Portuguese outfit granting approval. Mora's arrival strengthens Roma's attacking options as head coach Gian Piero Gasperini continues to prioritise wing reinforcements. Molina began his Roma career yesterday, joining Wesley and Rensch in the external positions. The club remains active on the market for flank options: a move for Cacciamani stalled after Torino failed to lower their asking price, while attempts to bring Udogie back to Italy on loan with a purchase option face resistance from Tottenham, who are unwilling to accept such terms. Roma will launch its cup competition season ticket campaign today from 12:00, covering five matches: four home group-stage fixtures in the Champions League and a Coppa Italia round-of-16 tie.

Roma have named their squad for tomorrow's friendly against Borussia Dortmund at 17:30, the final pre-season match following warm-up games against Trastevere, Primavera, Cannes, Cardiff, Newport and Brighton. The Giallorossi will fly to Germany on 14 August, with the match taking place on Ferragosto (15 August). Molina earns his first call-up and is available to head coach Gasperini, while Koné returns to the squad. Absent through injury are Pisilli and Pellegrini; Wesley is also ruled out with a mild ankle sprain. Academy player Morucci has been included in the attacking contingent. The 24-man squad includes three goalkeepers—De Marzi, Gollini and Svilar—and a broad defensive line featuring Rensch, Koulierakis, N'Dicka, Molina, Hermoso, Mancini, Ziólkowski, Mannini, Reale, Lulli and Ghilardi. Cristante, El Aynaoui and Koné form the midfield core, while the attack comprises Castro, Malen, Soulé, Dybala, Vaz and Morucci. The squad depth reflects Roma's preparation for the new season amid the pre-campaign injury list.

Roma will face Borussia Dortmund in their final pre-season friendly on 15 August at 17:30 at Signal Iduna Park. Gian Piero Gasperini's side complete their build-up after a British tour with this test match in Germany. Gasperini is expected to field a 3-4-2-1 formation, with Mile Svilar in goal and a back three of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso. Neil El Aynaoui and Bryan Cristante anchor the midfield, with Paulo Dybala and Matías Soulé supporting Donyell Malen in attack. Borussia Dortmund will deploy an identical shape, managed by Kovac. Tickets are available through the Borussia Dortmund club website. The match will be broadcast live on DAZN, with live text updates available on ilromanista.eu.

Roma's defence, which finished as Serie A's second-best last season, has shown alarming fragility during their pre-season tour of Britain. The Giallorossi conceded eight goals across three friendlies—four against Cardiff, one against Newport, and three against Brighton—with the tally rising to 11 when including a 3–3 draw against Cannes. Against Brighton on 8 August, Gasperini made wholesale defensive changes after Roma had shipped three goals in 49 minutes, introducing Ghilardi and new arrival Koulierakis while withdrawing N'Dicka and Hermoso. The ivory-coast central defender had failed to close down Ayari's double, prompting Gasperini to turn to the bench and shout "Let's change." Hermoso, managing an ankle problem, allowed Rutter to nearly extend the lead moments after the 3–0. Earlier defensive lapses against Cardiff exposed deeper issues: Ahsford's opener came after N'Dicka slipped and a rebound off Rensch, while Salech's second followed a costly Svilar error on a dangerous Wesley backpass. El Aynaoui was substituted at half-time after a misplaced pass that set up Ayari's second goal, and Rensch drew criticism for poor decision-making. The unit that had anchored Roma's recent success now appears fragile heading into the season. Gasperini acknowledged the work ahead, saying "the team is struggling to switch back on," highlighting the scale of the challenge to restore defensive solidity before competitive fixtures begin.

Roma have named their squad for tomorrow's friendly against Borussia Dortmund at 17:30, the final pre-season match following warm-up games against Trastevere, Primavera, Cannes, Cardiff, Newport and Brighton. The Giallorossi will fly to Germany on 14 August, with the match taking place on Ferragosto (15 August). Molina earns his first call-up and is available to head coach Gasperini, while Koné returns to the squad. Absent through injury are Pisilli and Pellegrini; Wesley is also ruled out with a mild ankle sprain. Academy player Morucci has been included in the attacking contingent. The 24-man squad includes three goalkeepers—De Marzi, Gollini and Svilar—and a broad defensive line featuring Rensch, Koulierakis, N'Dicka, Molina, Hermoso, Mancini, Ziólkowski, Mannini, Reale, Lulli and Ghilardi. Cristante, El Aynaoui and Koné form the midfield core, while the attack comprises Castro, Malen, Soulé, Dybala, Vaz and Morucci. The squad depth reflects Roma's preparation for the new season amid the pre-campaign injury list.

Roma will face Borussia Dortmund in their final pre-season friendly on 15 August at 17:30 at Signal Iduna Park. Gian Piero Gasperini's side complete their build-up after a British tour with this test match in Germany. Gasperini is expected to field a 3-4-2-1 formation, with Mile Svilar in goal and a back three of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso. Neil El Aynaoui and Bryan Cristante anchor the midfield, with Paulo Dybala and Matías Soulé supporting Donyell Malen in attack. Borussia Dortmund will deploy an identical shape, managed by Kovac. Tickets are available through the Borussia Dortmund club website. The match will be broadcast live on DAZN, with live text updates available on ilromanista.eu.

Mario Hermoso left the field early in the second half during Roma's 3–0 friendly defeat to Brighton on 8 August after a collision caused sharp pain in his left ankle, but head coach Gian Piero Gasperini withdrew him purely as a precaution rather than due to any inability to continue play. The Spanish defender is expected to be fit and available for Roma's next test against Borussia Dortmund on 15 August. Roma's heavy loss to Brighton came without the additional concern of a serious injury to their defence. Gasperini's decision to substitute Hermoso reflected a cautious approach to the player's status ahead of the Dortmund fixture, which will serve as further preparation before the competitive season begins.