Gasperini names squad for Borussia Dortmund friendly; Koné returns

Zeki Çelik produced a costly error in Turkey's match against Italy in Bursa, clearing a corner kick directly to Alessandro Bastoni, who opened the scoring for the Azzurri. Italy dominated the fixture in a redemptive performance after losing to Belgium on Friday. Çelik's mistake was immediately seized upon by social media users, with Roma supporters among those criticising the defender's display. One Roma fan wrote: "La spazza Celik" (Çelik the sweeper), while others joked about whether a 'Çelik-cam' video would emerge—a reference to footage released by DAZN following Çelik's first friendly for Juventus. The Turkish international has endured a difficult start to his spell in Serie A, facing criticism not only from Roma fans but also from his country's supporters.

Matías Soulé and his partner Milagros have announced the birth of their first son, Bautista. The Roma forward shared tender photographs on social media from the first moments of the child's life, accompanying them with a message: "Welcome love of our life, you have no idea how much we love you." The announcement comes at a significant moment for Soulé. He recently scored a winning goal in the final moments against Atalanta and has been called up to the Argentina national team. The arrival of his first child adds to what he described as a magical period in his personal and professional life.

Matías Soulé has become a father for the first time, with his son Bautista born in Argentina. Soulé and his partner Milagros announced the birth on social media, posting: "Welcome love of our life, you don't know how much we love you." The Roma forward shared the first photographs with his newborn while in Buenos Aires on international duty. Soulé is currently away with Argentina for three friendly matches against Bolivia, Burkina Faso and Benin. He will return to Rome on 8 October, three days before Roma's fixture against Como. The arrival of his son comes in the same week that Soulé has linked up with his national team, bringing a double cause for celebration.

Gian Piero Gasperini has made wing play central to Roma's football, and the club is working to maximise the impact of their flanks ahead of the league's resumption. Wesley, the Brazilian who has been the most brilliant performer in recent months, is recovering from an ankle distortion near the end of summer training and a subsequent muscle problem, and is using three weeks of focused work at Trigoria while sitting out national team duties to return to peak fitness for the match against Como. On the opposite flank, Nahuel Molina is asserting himself with force. The Argentine returned to Serie A with four years at Atlético Madrid and a World Cup winner's medal in his record, and has integrated quickly into Gasperini's system. He has played against both Torino and Inter, showing versatility as a left winger in the 3-4-2-1 formation, cutting infield onto his stronger foot and coming close to goals while already recording one assist. Beyond the summer transfers, a major surprise for Roma is nineteen-year-old Emanuele Lulli. Though he caught Gasperini's attention in the previous season without being a primary Primavera player, the young right-sided defender has carved out important space through pace and attacking boldness. The club is working to secure him with a meeting scheduled soon between the management and his representative to discuss a contract renewal that expires in June. With Devyne Rensch completing the full-back contingent, Gasperini has all the tools to unlock Roma's flanks.

Gian Piero Gasperini has steered Roma to the top of Serie A after four wins and a draw in his opening matches, accumulating 13 points alongside Inter and Lazio. The coach, who guided Roma to third place and Champions League qualification in the 2025-26 season, has introduced three key innovations that have reshaped the squad's identity. The first centres on the fullback role. Despite having four right-sided options available in Molina, Rensch, Lulli and Wesley, Gasperini has stabilised Wesley on the left flank, instructing him not only to attack but to drift infield to link play with teammates. Gasperini explained the reasoning: "There was an idea to sign a left-footer, but not having one is no problem for me. Like in attack, we can have inverted wingers." The second innovation is Gasperini's ability to reshape the team mid-match without predetermined patterns, including reorganising the defence on tactical impulse. In Roma's clash against Atalanta, he changed two-thirds of the back line to overturn a deficit, saying: "When you go behind you rarely think about changing at the back, but we were struggling and fresh energy there put the ball back in our hands." Beyond the pitch, Gasperini has transformed the handling of the Roman environment—traditionally a source of complex pressure. He has repositioned supporters' enthusiasm as a motivational force, stating: "The city is everything, it motivates and stimulates you. The Olimpico always full is wonderful, it gives you positive pressure." At Trigoria training ground, he has fostered an atmosphere where players want to be: "There is an environment here where you have pleasure in coming. I am in love with this group."

Gian Piero Gasperini is working to revive Roma's attacking threat from the flanks, with Wesley, Nahuel Molina and Emanuele Lulli forming the core of his wide-play strategy as the club emerges from the international break. In Gasperini's system, fullbacks and wingers are consistently among the key elements, tasked with generating pace, width, numerical superiority and offensive presence. After an opening stretch of the season in which some of these players have struggled to reach their best form, the break provides an opportunity to reset this crucial area. Wesley was one of the most incisive performers in Gasperini's system last season, scoring five goals thanks to the freedom to attack from the flank opposite his stronger foot. This year, however, his start has been complicated. A muscle problem forced him to miss international duty, followed by an ankle injury sustained a week before the league campaign began. Those two setbacks prevented him from starting the season at full fitness. Missing out on national team selection due to fatigue has, though, gifted him three weeks of training at Trigoria that could prove invaluable. The goal is clear: to have Wesley at his best for the match against Como. When fit, his accelerations from either flank transform Roma's offensive structure and force opponents into deeper defensive positions. Gasperini is not reliant on Wesley alone. The transfer market has brought him Nahuel Molina, who has returned to Italy after four years with a wealth of additional experience and a World Cup winner's medal. After early substitute appearances, the Argentine has begun to secure regular playing time and was firmly established in the team hierarchy before the international break. Against Torino and Inter, Gasperini deployed him on the left in a 3-4-2-1 formation, exploiting his ability to cut onto his stronger foot and make an impact in the final third—a tactical solution already used with Wesley that could become one of the new Roma's most interesting variants. Molina has already provided an assist and come close to scoring multiple times, a sign that he is quickly absorbing the role's demands. Rather than a mere alternative, he has the potential to become another genuine starter in a zone of the pitch where Gasperini tolerates no passive interpreters. The biggest surprise has come from within. Emanuele Lulli, only nineteen years old, has been among the most-used players in this opening stretch on the right flank. His running ability, personality and willingness to attack space make him an almost natural fit for Gasperini's football. His performances have convinced the club to work on a contract renewal for terms expiring in June, with a meeting with his agent scheduled soon. Devyne Rensch completes the squad as a more balanced and reliable option. Roma has not closed the market with an additional winger the coach wanted, but now possesses a much deeper pool: Wesley, Molina, Lulli and Rensch. Not all have yet reached the same level of fitness or integration, but the principle is clear—Gasperini intends to inflict damage from the flanks once again as his side seeks to regain momentum after the break.

Mario Hermoso has established himself as an indispensable fixture in Gian Piero Gasperini's Roma defence, ranking second only to Bryan Cristante in minutes played under the manager. The Spanish defender has appeared in 509 of Roma's 540 available minutes—94.2 per cent—and Gasperini has described him as a statue in the position. Hermoso's defensive output backs up his importance. He leads Serie A with 16 interceptions, a remarkable tally achieved through aggressive pressing and constant anticipation that fits seamlessly into Gasperini's tactical system. His discipline is equally striking: he has committed only 3 fouls in Serie A this season, fewer than half the tally of fellow Roma defenders Evan N'Dicka (8 fouls) and Gianluca Mancini (7 fouls). The former Atlético Madrid player has developed into an absolute leader at the club, accompanying offensive actions with progressive passes towards the opposition goal. Squawka's data collection shows Hermoso shares his interception record with Frendurp of Genoa.

Roma players scattered across international fixtures during the latest international break produced mixed results, with midfielder Manu Koné earning praise from France coach Zidane after a strong display in a 1–0 loss to France. Koné operated in a new midfield role that drew positive signals from Zidane, who was encouraged by his performance. Evan N'Dicka started for Ivory Coast in a win over Ghana, while Konstantinos Koulierakis remained on the bench as Greece lost to Serbia. Daniele Ghilardi did not feature in Italy's 2–0 defeat to Belgium. Gianluca Mancini started for Italy at the Stadio Olimpico in a poor display but now risks losing his place for Monday's match against Turkey. Rodrigo Mora contributed an assist for Portugal U21. Argentina's players remain on different timelines: Santiago Castro, Matías Soulé and Leonardo Balerdi are set to face Bolivia in four days, while Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina will not attend Argentina's celebration for Messi on 6 October.

Roma's international contingent made an impact during the first round of matches across their respective national teams. Rodrigo Mora, representing Portugal's Under-21 side, delivered an assist and created multiple chances in a 90-minute display against Bulgaria that drew praise. Manu Koné continued his strong form for France, deployed as a defensive midfielder against Turkey in a different role than his usual positioning, yet still ranked first for successful dribbles and maintained his stellar start to the season. Koné has now established himself as a cornerstone of the French setup under Zinedine Zidane. Roma sent 12 players on international duty during this break, giving head coach Gian Piero Gasperini a chance to recharge ahead of a strong start to the 2026-27 campaign while maintaining focus on rhythm and fitness. Rodrigo's performance underlined the club's expectations following a €50 million investment, with his growth trajectory in a Roma shirt becoming increasingly significant. The break comes at a critical juncture, balancing necessary rest with the imperative to sustain momentum after the club's impressive opening. Gianluca Mancini's display for Italy proved disappointing, marked by an error leading to Belgium's opening goal and imprecision in the first half, though he improved after the break and came close to scoring. Daniele Ghilardi was not selected for Italy and awaits his national team debut. Konstantinos Koulierakis remained unused on the bench in Greece's match against Serbia. Evan N'Dicka returned to action with Ivory Coast, delivering a solid performance in their victory against Ghana. The three Roma players on Argentina duty—Santiago Castro, Matías Soulé and Leonardo Balerdi—face a friendly against Bolivia in four days, followed by Argentina's tribute match to Lionel Messi, a fixture where Nahuel Molina and Paulo Dybala are hoped to appear, though Roma has yet to confirm their release.

Italy bounced back from their defeat to Belgium with a 4-1 away victory over Turkey in the Nations League on 28 September, claiming their opening three points of the competition. Bastoni, Frattesi and Kayode scored three goals in the opening thirty minutes before Yilmaz halved the deficit early in the second half. Pio Esposito restored Italy's three-goal lead to seal the win. Daniele Ghilardi spent all 90 minutes on the bench, while Gianluca Mancini was not included in the squad at all. France beat Belgium 1-0 on the same day with Oliver Olise scoring in the 88th minute. Manu Koné came off the bench in the closing moments as a replacement for Da Cunha in that fixture. Italy's next Nations League fixture is scheduled for Friday against France.

Italy take on Turkey in the Nations League second round after a heavy defeat to Belgium on Friday, with manager Vincenzo Montella in charge. Daniele Ghilardi starts on the bench, while Gianluca Mancini has not been called up to the squad. Bastoni and Scalvini form the central defensive pairing, with a front three comprising the Esposito brothers and Raspadori. In parallel, Manu Koné is unavailable for France's match against Belgium, with Como midfielder Da Cunha starting in his place. The absences of both Roma players reflect the demands of the international calendar during the Nations League group phase.

Italy defeated Turkey 4–1 in a Nations League fixture at Belediye Stadyumu in Bursa on 28 September 2026, with goals from Bastoni, Frattesi, Kayode and Pio Esposito. The result came in the second matchday, with Italy seeking to recover after a home loss to Belgium. Kayode and Sebastiano Esposito made their debuts for the national team, while Ruggeri also earned a first cap. Roberto Mancini's side established control early: Bastoni opened the scoring from a corner in the ninth minute, Frattesi doubled the lead in the 22nd minute after Kayode's initial effort was parried, and Kayode himself added the third in the 27th. Turkey reduced the deficit through Yilmaz in the 47th minute before Pio Esposito headed in a fourth from Tonali's rebound in the 51st minute. From a Roma perspective, Gianluca Mancini was not included in the Italy squad, while Daniele Ghilardi was named on the bench. The match was significant for Italy's Nations League campaign, with a win essential to avoid relegation to League B. Turkey, managed by Vincenzo Montella, had lost their opening fixture to France. Italy's lineup featured Donnarumma in goal with Kayode at right-back, Scalvini and Bastoni as centre-backs, and Ruggeri at left-back. Frattesi, Tonali and Fagioli operated in midfield, with Raspadori, Pio Esposito and Sebastiano Esposito in attack. Italy's bench included Ghilardi, Calafiori, Di Lorenzo, Mandragora, Romano, Doumbia, Cambiaghi, Vergara, Kean and Scamacca.