Gasperini names Roma squad for Fenerbahçe; Pellegrini ruled out

Roma head to Naples for a Serie A eighth-round clash with Napoli, coached by Max Allegri, with Gian Piero Gasperini facing a single selection question over who will partner Matías Soulé and Donyell Malen up front. Bryan Cristante is ahead in the race, while Rodrigo Mora is expected to start on the bench. Gasperini has already set the tone, saying: "Non svegliateci" ("Don't wake us up"), as his side look to build on a superb start to the league campaign and show they are not ready to slow down. Roma have made a strong start to the season, and the Napoli fixture is a major test that will say much about the club's real ambitions. Lulli returns on the right side of the defence, with Molina among the substitutes. Behind Gollini, the established back three of Ndicka, Mancini and Hermoso is set to start. Gasperini will be without several players, including Svilar, Koné, Pellegrini and Dybala, but has two important returns in Cristante, who was already called up for the Slovan Bratislava match on Tuesday evening, and Malen, who has served his league suspension. Both are expected to start from the first minute at the Maradona. Napoli are expected to line up in a 4-3-3 with Milinkovic-Savic in goal, Di Lorenzo, Badiashile, Marín and Olivera in defence, Anguissa, De Bruyne and McTominay in midfield, and Politano, Hojlund and Lang in attack. Roma are set to play a 3-4-1-2 with Gollini; Mancini, Ndicka and Hermoso; Lulli, de Roon, Pisilli and Wesley; Cristante; and Soulé and Malen. Among the substitutes are Vásquez, De Marzi, Rensch, Koulierakis, Molina, Balerdi, Ghilardi, Di Nunzio, Mora, Castro and Camara. The match, valid for the eighth round of Serie A EniLive, kicks off at 18:00 and is broadcast live and exclusively on DAZN. Viewers will need a DAZN subscription and can access the match through a smart TV app, or on consoles such as Xbox or PlayStation. Alternatively, it can be watched on devices including Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast and TIM VISION Box. Live coverage is also available through Forzaroma.info's Cronaca Live and its social media channels on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. The Slovan Bratislava meeting in Europe is a fixture Roma have not faced for 15 years, since their only previous meeting, in the 2011/12 Europa League play-off, when the Slovaks won 1-0 away and drew 1-1 at the Olimpico to eliminate the giallorossi. Roma's record against Slovak sides reads one win, two draws and one defeat. Their sole victory came in 2009, when they beat Košice 7-1 at the Olimpico in the Europa League qualifiers after a 3-3 draw in the first leg. Slovan Bratislava have won only one of their five away matches in Italy, drawing one and losing three. Roma are also counting on the Olimpico, having won eight of their last ten home Champions League matches.

Former Roma midfielder Gigi Di Biagio, who made 140 appearances for the club and is now in Saudi Arabia, has told La Gazzetta dello Sport that Inter remain the favourites for the Scudetto, while insisting Roma can mount a serious challenge. The interview was given a few hours before Napoli v Roma. Di Biagio, who has also been Italy's U20 and U21 coach and interim head coach of the senior national team, praised Roma's progress this season. He said he had seen a clear improvement in the team compared with last year, and he singled out the squad's depth. "I always say that it is not the starting XI that wins championships, but the 25th man, the bench," he said. "And this year Gasperini certainly has more players he can count on. Roma entertain, dominate their opponents and involve the whole squad. That makes the difference." On the title race, Di Biagio said: "Of course Roma can fight for the Scudetto. However, I have to admit that Inter remain the favourites, and have been for five or six years. If they have not won every title in that period, it is because something happened that should not have. In terms of squad, they have no equals in Italy. That said, as happened with Napoli's Scudetti, if certain dynamics come together, why not? I am very attached to both teams." On the midfield, he acknowledged the impact of Manu Koné's absence. "The emergency is certainly there. But when you put play and mentality at the centre of the project, players who have never played together, like Pisilli and De Roon, can also do well. Koné and Cristante are players of the highest level and they are missed over the long run, but Pisilli is showing he is on that path and has an incredible understanding with the Dutchman." Di Biagio also expressed sympathy over the injury to Lorenzo Pellegrini. "I feel really sorry for him. I have a soft spot for him and I simply do not understand the criticism he has faced over the years. I saw him play brilliantly against Slovan and he could also play in that role in midfield. I hope he returns as soon as possible." Finally, asked whether Gianluca Mancini could be used in midfield after he was tried there in the closing stages against Slovan, Di Biagio offered an anecdote. "Very few people know this, but Mancio was playing in midfield at 16-17 years old. When I coached him in the Under-21s he could also play that role. He has total empathy with Gasperini and he would certainly not refuse, but we are talking about an emergency situation. He is at his best as a proactive and charismatic defender, which he is."

Roma are edging closer to getting midfielder Manu Koné back from injury, with the Frenchman potentially available between the Champions League trip to Manchester United on 3 November and the next Serie A match against Sassuolo, according to Il Messaggero. The signs coming out of Trigoria are encouraging and his return now appears close. Koné has been sidelined since a muscle problem he suffered in the Champions League match against Real Madrid on 14 October. He is continuing his recovery from a first-degree tear of the right hamstring. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini had already indicated, on the eve of the Roma-Genoa match, that the weekend of 7 November was a possible window for the midfielder's return. The medical staff's aim remains to bring him back fully fit before the next international break, avoiding any rush while giving the coach a key figure in midfield back. Koné's return would be especially significant given the numerous absences that have affected Roma's midfield in recent weeks.

Roma head to Naples for a Serie A eighth-round clash with Napoli, coached by Max Allegri, with Gian Piero Gasperini facing a single selection question over who will partner Matías Soulé and Donyell Malen up front. Bryan Cristante is ahead in the race, while Rodrigo Mora is expected to start on the bench. Gasperini has already set the tone, saying: "Non svegliateci" ("Don't wake us up"), as his side look to build on a superb start to the league campaign and show they are not ready to slow down. Roma have made a strong start to the season, and the Napoli fixture is a major test that will say much about the club's real ambitions. Lulli returns on the right side of the defence, with Molina among the substitutes. Behind Gollini, the established back three of Ndicka, Mancini and Hermoso is set to start. Gasperini will be without several players, including Svilar, Koné, Pellegrini and Dybala, but has two important returns in Cristante, who was already called up for the Slovan Bratislava match on Tuesday evening, and Malen, who has served his league suspension. Both are expected to start from the first minute at the Maradona. Napoli are expected to line up in a 4-3-3 with Milinkovic-Savic in goal, Di Lorenzo, Badiashile, Marín and Olivera in defence, Anguissa, De Bruyne and McTominay in midfield, and Politano, Hojlund and Lang in attack. Roma are set to play a 3-4-1-2 with Gollini; Mancini, Ndicka and Hermoso; Lulli, de Roon, Pisilli and Wesley; Cristante; and Soulé and Malen. Among the substitutes are Vásquez, De Marzi, Rensch, Koulierakis, Molina, Balerdi, Ghilardi, Di Nunzio, Mora, Castro and Camara. The match, valid for the eighth round of Serie A EniLive, kicks off at 18:00 and is broadcast live and exclusively on DAZN. Viewers will need a DAZN subscription and can access the match through a smart TV app, or on consoles such as Xbox or PlayStation. Alternatively, it can be watched on devices including Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast and TIM VISION Box. Live coverage is also available through Forzaroma.info's Cronaca Live and its social media channels on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. The Slovan Bratislava meeting in Europe is a fixture Roma have not faced for 15 years, since their only previous meeting, in the 2011/12 Europa League play-off, when the Slovaks won 1-0 away and drew 1-1 at the Olimpico to eliminate the giallorossi. Roma's record against Slovak sides reads one win, two draws and one defeat. Their sole victory came in 2009, when they beat Košice 7-1 at the Olimpico in the Europa League qualifiers after a 3-3 draw in the first leg. Slovan Bratislava have won only one of their five away matches in Italy, drawing one and losing three. Roma are also counting on the Olimpico, having won eight of their last ten home Champions League matches.

Former Roma midfielder Gigi Di Biagio, who made 140 appearances for the club and is now in Saudi Arabia, has told La Gazzetta dello Sport that Inter remain the favourites for the Scudetto, while insisting Roma can mount a serious challenge. The interview was given a few hours before Napoli v Roma. Di Biagio, who has also been Italy's U20 and U21 coach and interim head coach of the senior national team, praised Roma's progress this season. He said he had seen a clear improvement in the team compared with last year, and he singled out the squad's depth. "I always say that it is not the starting XI that wins championships, but the 25th man, the bench," he said. "And this year Gasperini certainly has more players he can count on. Roma entertain, dominate their opponents and involve the whole squad. That makes the difference." On the title race, Di Biagio said: "Of course Roma can fight for the Scudetto. However, I have to admit that Inter remain the favourites, and have been for five or six years. If they have not won every title in that period, it is because something happened that should not have. In terms of squad, they have no equals in Italy. That said, as happened with Napoli's Scudetti, if certain dynamics come together, why not? I am very attached to both teams." On the midfield, he acknowledged the impact of Manu Koné's absence. "The emergency is certainly there. But when you put play and mentality at the centre of the project, players who have never played together, like Pisilli and De Roon, can also do well. Koné and Cristante are players of the highest level and they are missed over the long run, but Pisilli is showing he is on that path and has an incredible understanding with the Dutchman." Di Biagio also expressed sympathy over the injury to Lorenzo Pellegrini. "I feel really sorry for him. I have a soft spot for him and I simply do not understand the criticism he has faced over the years. I saw him play brilliantly against Slovan and he could also play in that role in midfield. I hope he returns as soon as possible." Finally, asked whether Gianluca Mancini could be used in midfield after he was tried there in the closing stages against Slovan, Di Biagio offered an anecdote. "Very few people know this, but Mancio was playing in midfield at 16-17 years old. When I coached him in the Under-21s he could also play that role. He has total empathy with Gasperini and he would certainly not refuse, but we are talking about an emergency situation. He is at his best as a proactive and charismatic defender, which he is."

Roma head to Napoli's Stadio Maradona today, 24 October, for a difficult big match with a kickoff at 18:00, and they must do without Svilar, Koné, Pellegrini and Dybala through injury. The club's mood has been lifted by recent contract renewals, and Il Messaggero reports that the eve of the game was marked by the renewal of Emanuele Lulli until 2031. The 19-year-old is preparing for his sixth start, a milestone that at that age only Marquinhos had reached in the giallorosso shirt. Cristante and Malen return as key figures for Roma, and both are expected to lead the team on what promises to be a hot night in Naples. Malen will lead the attack and dreams of repeating the brace he scored at the Maradona a year ago, with Soulé alongside him. Molina will rest ahead of Tuesday's match against Cagliari. The final selection question is the attacking midfield, where Mora is pushing for a place but could make way for the experience and energy of Cristante. Cristante would also be valuable in covering Lobotka, McTominay and Anguissa. At the back, the starting trio of Mancini, N'Dicka and Hermoso is reassembled. Lulli's rise is the standout detail of the build-up, with his contract running until 2031 and his sixth start coming in the space of a few months. Roma will be relying on Cristante's and Malen's experience to offset a long list of absentees against a Napoli side featuring Lobotka, McTominay and Anguissa.

Roma head to Naples for a Serie A eighth-round clash with Napoli, coached by Max Allegri, with Gian Piero Gasperini facing a single selection question over who will partner Matías Soulé and Donyell Malen up front. Bryan Cristante is ahead in the race, while Rodrigo Mora is expected to start on the bench. Gasperini has already set the tone, saying: "Non svegliateci" ("Don't wake us up"), as his side look to build on a superb start to the league campaign and show they are not ready to slow down. Roma have made a strong start to the season, and the Napoli fixture is a major test that will say much about the club's real ambitions. Lulli returns on the right side of the defence, with Molina among the substitutes. Behind Gollini, the established back three of Ndicka, Mancini and Hermoso is set to start. Gasperini will be without several players, including Svilar, Koné, Pellegrini and Dybala, but has two important returns in Cristante, who was already called up for the Slovan Bratislava match on Tuesday evening, and Malen, who has served his league suspension. Both are expected to start from the first minute at the Maradona. Napoli are expected to line up in a 4-3-3 with Milinkovic-Savic in goal, Di Lorenzo, Badiashile, Marín and Olivera in defence, Anguissa, De Bruyne and McTominay in midfield, and Politano, Hojlund and Lang in attack. Roma are set to play a 3-4-1-2 with Gollini; Mancini, Ndicka and Hermoso; Lulli, de Roon, Pisilli and Wesley; Cristante; and Soulé and Malen. Among the substitutes are Vásquez, De Marzi, Rensch, Koulierakis, Molina, Balerdi, Ghilardi, Di Nunzio, Mora, Castro and Camara. The match, valid for the eighth round of Serie A EniLive, kicks off at 18:00 and is broadcast live and exclusively on DAZN. Viewers will need a DAZN subscription and can access the match through a smart TV app, or on consoles such as Xbox or PlayStation. Alternatively, it can be watched on devices including Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast and TIM VISION Box. Live coverage is also available through Forzaroma.info's Cronaca Live and its social media channels on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. The Slovan Bratislava meeting in Europe is a fixture Roma have not faced for 15 years, since their only previous meeting, in the 2011/12 Europa League play-off, when the Slovaks won 1-0 away and drew 1-1 at the Olimpico to eliminate the giallorossi. Roma's record against Slovak sides reads one win, two draws and one defeat. Their sole victory came in 2009, when they beat Košice 7-1 at the Olimpico in the Europa League qualifiers after a 3-3 draw in the first leg. Slovan Bratislava have won only one of their five away matches in Italy, drawing one and losing three. Roma are also counting on the Olimpico, having won eight of their last ten home Champions League matches.

Cristante is in Roma's squad for the trip to Napoli, according to the squad list published by Il Messaggero. Coach Gian Piero Gasperini is short in the final third, with Pellegrini, Dybala, Svilar and Koné all sidelined. He has only Mora and Soulé behind Malen, and is considering playing Cristante further forward. The squad list names Balerdi, Ghilardi, Hermoso, Koulierakis, Lulli, Mancini, Molina, N'Dicka, Rensch and Wesley in defence; Cristante, De Roon, Mora and Pisilli in midfield; and Malen, Soulé and Castro in attack. Camara and Di Nunzio are also listed. The situation is serious enough that Roma are expected to act in the January transfer window. The club must spend to give Gasperini at least two reinforcements between attack and the flanks. Gittens and Leweling remain on the list, and the club has not ruled out the complicated pursuit of Endrick. A new left-back name has emerged: Alejandro Balde of Barcelona, who is finding few minutes under Flick and has been offered by Jorge Mendes. His name joins that of Oosterwolde. Sky Sport reports that Roma are close to the final details of a contract renewal for Lulli, which would run to 2031. The deal has not yet been officially announced, and the last points must be settled before it is formalised. Speaking to Corriere dello Sport at the Amsterdam stop of the EA7 World Legends Padel Tour, Stekelenburg was asked about Svilar. He said: "If I had to put him in the top five... no, not yet. After all, there are Courtois, Neuer and others. But he is a young lad and he is doing an excellent job. He just has to keep growing." Asked to choose between Højlund and Malen if he were a sporting director, Graziani said: "Malen without thinking twice. Hojlund I like a lot, and sometimes he looks to me like a 'little Lukaku' the way he leads the attack and the physical battles he takes on, and he has a great sense of goal; but Malen is my ideal striker, for the way he attacks space, for his dribbling, for the acceleration he has in the last twenty metres and because he can roam across the whole attacking front."

Roma have named their squad for the Napoli fixture at the Maradona, with the match less than 24 hours away. Gian Piero Gasperini's list was released shortly after Napoli's own squad announcement by Allegri. Paulo Dybala is out, though he hopes to be back in contention against Cagliari. Manu Koné, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Mile Svilar are also unavailable. Bryan Cristante could return to the starting line-up. Two Primavera players feature in the squad. Di Nunzio made his debut against Genoa last weekend, and Mandjou Camara, a 2009-born striker, was already named in the squad for the game against the Rossoblù. The full squad is: goalkeepers Vásquez, De Marzi and Gollini; defenders Rensch, Koulierakis, N'Dicka, Molina, Hermoso, Mancini, Balerdi, Wesley, Lulli and Ghilardi; midfielders Cristante, De Roon, Pisilli, Di Nunzio and Mora; and forwards Castro, Malen, Soulé and Camara. The selection gives Gasperini a largely established back line, with Cristante's availability a boost in midfield as Roma travel to face Napoli.

Roma head to Naples for a Serie A eighth-round clash with Napoli, coached by Max Allegri, with Gian Piero Gasperini facing a single selection question over who will partner Matías Soulé and Donyell Malen up front. Bryan Cristante is ahead in the race, while Rodrigo Mora is expected to start on the bench. Gasperini has already set the tone, saying: "Non svegliateci" ("Don't wake us up"), as his side look to build on a superb start to the league campaign and show they are not ready to slow down. Roma have made a strong start to the season, and the Napoli fixture is a major test that will say much about the club's real ambitions. Lulli returns on the right side of the defence, with Molina among the substitutes. Behind Gollini, the established back three of Ndicka, Mancini and Hermoso is set to start. Gasperini will be without several players, including Svilar, Koné, Pellegrini and Dybala, but has two important returns in Cristante, who was already called up for the Slovan Bratislava match on Tuesday evening, and Malen, who has served his league suspension. Both are expected to start from the first minute at the Maradona. Napoli are expected to line up in a 4-3-3 with Milinkovic-Savic in goal, Di Lorenzo, Badiashile, Marín and Olivera in defence, Anguissa, De Bruyne and McTominay in midfield, and Politano, Hojlund and Lang in attack. Roma are set to play a 3-4-1-2 with Gollini; Mancini, Ndicka and Hermoso; Lulli, de Roon, Pisilli and Wesley; Cristante; and Soulé and Malen. Among the substitutes are Vásquez, De Marzi, Rensch, Koulierakis, Molina, Balerdi, Ghilardi, Di Nunzio, Mora, Castro and Camara. The match, valid for the eighth round of Serie A EniLive, kicks off at 18:00 and is broadcast live and exclusively on DAZN. Viewers will need a DAZN subscription and can access the match through a smart TV app, or on consoles such as Xbox or PlayStation. Alternatively, it can be watched on devices including Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast and TIM VISION Box. Live coverage is also available through Forzaroma.info's Cronaca Live and its social media channels on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. The Slovan Bratislava meeting in Europe is a fixture Roma have not faced for 15 years, since their only previous meeting, in the 2011/12 Europa League play-off, when the Slovaks won 1-0 away and drew 1-1 at the Olimpico to eliminate the giallorossi. Roma's record against Slovak sides reads one win, two draws and one defeat. Their sole victory came in 2009, when they beat Košice 7-1 at the Olimpico in the Europa League qualifiers after a 3-3 draw in the first leg. Slovan Bratislava have won only one of their five away matches in Italy, drawing one and losing three. Roma are also counting on the Olimpico, having won eight of their last ten home Champions League matches.

Roma head to Napoli's Stadio Maradona today, 24 October, for a difficult big match with a kickoff at 18:00, and they must do without Svilar, Koné, Pellegrini and Dybala through injury. The club's mood has been lifted by recent contract renewals, and Il Messaggero reports that the eve of the game was marked by the renewal of Emanuele Lulli until 2031. The 19-year-old is preparing for his sixth start, a milestone that at that age only Marquinhos had reached in the giallorosso shirt. Cristante and Malen return as key figures for Roma, and both are expected to lead the team on what promises to be a hot night in Naples. Malen will lead the attack and dreams of repeating the brace he scored at the Maradona a year ago, with Soulé alongside him. Molina will rest ahead of Tuesday's match against Cagliari. The final selection question is the attacking midfield, where Mora is pushing for a place but could make way for the experience and energy of Cristante. Cristante would also be valuable in covering Lobotka, McTominay and Anguissa. At the back, the starting trio of Mancini, N'Dicka and Hermoso is reassembled. Lulli's rise is the standout detail of the build-up, with his contract running until 2031 and his sixth start coming in the space of a few months. Roma will be relying on Cristante's and Malen's experience to offset a long list of absentees against a Napoli side featuring Lobotka, McTominay and Anguissa.

Roma travel to Naples to face Napoli at the Maradona in a big-match clash, and coach Gian Piero Gasperini must still do without Mile Svilar, Manu Koné, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Paulo Dybala. Cristante and Donyell Malen are back, with Cristante pushing for a starting place in the three-quarter role, where he is locked in a battle with Rodrigo Mora. Malen is described as an undisputed fixture in the Giallorossi attack. Evan N'Dicka returns to the back line, and Emanuele Lulli is expected at right-back. The Italian newspapers largely agree on the shape Gasperini is likely to use. Corriere dello Sport and La Repubblica both predict a 3-4-2-1 with Soulé and Mora behind Malen, while Gazzetta dello Sport, Il Messaggero, Il Tempo and Corriere della Sera go with a 3-4-1-2 featuring Cristante in the hole. Tuttosport also backs a 3-4-2-1 but keeps Pisilli in midfield alongside de Roon. Across the predictions, Francesco Gollini is in goal, with Gianluca Mancini and Mario Hermoso alongside N'Dicka in a back three, and Wesley and Lulli providing width. The four players ruled out are a significant absence for a side looking to secure a result in a fixture of this profile. Gasperini's selection options are shaped by the return of Cristante, Malen and N'Dicka, and by the continuing fight between Cristante and Mora for a central attacking berth.