Gasperini on Castro and Malen playing together

Roma face Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League on Tuesday 20 October at 21:00 at the Stadio Olimpico, just two days after beating Genoa on Saturday evening. Gian Piero Gasperini addressed the fixture at his press conference, stressing that his side will not underestimate their opponents because they need to win to keep their qualification hopes alive. Gasperini said: "We will not underestimate the opponent because we need to win to fuel our chances of going through. To reach the playoffs we need 10 points, starting from this match." Roma go into the match with a fresh fitness concern, as Paulo Dybala is set to be out for at least two weeks. Lorenzo Pellegrini, who sat alongside Gasperini at the press conference, is likely to start tomorrow. Pellegrini said: "I'm well. The annual contract was the club's choice, my priority was Roma." Two places in the starting line-up remain open heading into the match. One is the central defensive berth, a choice between Leonardo Balerdi and Evan N'Dicka, with the former ahead in the race. The other is the right-back spot, where Emanuele Lulli or Nahuel Molina are in contention, with Lulli currently ahead. Slovan Bratislava head coach Yaya Touré also spoke at his press conference: "Great respect for Roma and for Gasp, here the details count."

Slovan Bratislava head coach Yaya Touré and defender Kevin Wimmer spoke to reporters at the pre-match press conference ahead of their Champions League league-phase match against Roma, which takes place tomorrow, 20 October, at 21:00. The fixture is the third matchday of the league phase. Touré said he expected an interesting game and wanted to see his team's performance. "Roma are strong, with excellent players and an excellent coach. We have to give everything tomorrow evening." Asked whether the Stadio Olimpico is a special place for him, having already won the Champions League there, he said: "Yes, I hope it will be tomorrow too. Winning the Champions League is wonderful: the pitch will always be the same. I feel good, I am positive. We want to produce the best possible performance." On what he expects from the match, Touré said: "I expect a tough game after Real's comeback: they will want to get back on track. We want to play in the best way possible and give emotions to the 2000 fans who have travelled for us, always with respect for our opponents. Anything can happen in football." Asked for his view of Gian Piero Gasperini, Touré said: "You always learn. Gasperini has great experience and made an enormous contribution to Atalanta, improving every aspect of their game. The work he did there was incredible. For me it is complicated, but I want to think about things simply. We face a very strong team, with some absences, but they remain dangerous. They can hurt you. I focus on my own team." Touré also spoke of his emotions: "I am very excited. Roma are a huge club and having the chance to be here is an honour. It will be a fantastic experience for us. I hope to play an excellent game: we want to enjoy it." On how to stop Donyell Malen, Touré said: "Malen is in form, he is feeling great. He has always done well, including in the past. In recent matches he has scored several goals. It won't be easy: we will have to be aggressive from the start. Roma have quality. We need a great performance." Comparing with Roma's recent match against Milan, Touré said: "They are different games. Roma are strong defensively and press across the whole pitch: it is a very Italian style of play. They are tactically prepared, solid and also clinical. We must be aggressive and give them little space." When reminded that Roma lost to Slovan 15 years ago, he said: "I knew that: it was a great result for the club. We want to recreate the same atmosphere, although things have changed a lot. They are favourites, but we have not come here to watch. Let's see what we can do."

Slovan Bratislava coach Yaya Touré has previewed Wednesday's Champions League clash with Roma, saying his side will give everything against a strong opponent led by an experienced coach. Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Touré said: "It will be an interesting match. It's a different opponent, with great quality and a great, experienced coach. We will give our maximum." Touré, who won the Champions League himself, said the atmosphere at the stadium remained the same as before. "I hope that tomorrow can also be a special place. Winning the Champions League has a remarkable emotional power. Some things have changed, but the pitch is always the same and the atmosphere is the same. Tomorrow is not the final, but it is a big match for this club." On his squad, Touré said captain Sporar would not play. "Sporar will still have a couple of days to recover, we don't want to risk him. He always wants to be there because he is the captain, but we cannot risk him. He has the flu and will not play. We also have a couple of other players out, but all the others are available. Gryger is not in the squad, but he is with us for the cohesion of the group. I always ask whether they want to come to be together. It is part of the team spirit and will be important for us and for the fans." Touré expects a difficult game against a Roma side still feeling the disappointment of their defeat to Real Madrid. "They want to find points just as we do. We want to play in the best way possible and we want to give emotions to the two thousand fans who will come." He added: "I have great respect for Roma and for Gasperini. We will try to win and anything can always happen, in the Champions League the details matter." On Gian Piero Gasperini, Touré said: "Every coach has his philosophy and he has a huge amount of experience. He made an enormous contribution to Atalanta, who still play with his method. He had improved the defence. The work he has done in winning back the ball is incredible. For me it is a complicated challenge, but I want to keep things simple. We will play against a strong team, they have absences, but Roma remain a very great side. Even reserves can hurt you. In football things can happen and change, not only from set pieces. Roma are solid at the back and have an incredible tactical discipline. But I have faith in my players and we will try to win." Touré also recalled that Slovan knocked Roma out of the Europa League fifteen years ago. "We are coming here with the intention of winning and we will not stand back. We know our football well and we must do well. We do not want to repeat the mistakes made in the other two matches." Asked about Evan N'Dicka, Touré said: "I think he is a great player. I remember what he did in Germany and now he is stronger. If he plays tomorrow I will tell him to take it easy, I hope he does not play (laughs). We will be careful with him too, Ivory Coast love him, but tomorrow I am only thinking about my team."

Roma host Slovan Bratislava at the Stadio Olimpico on Tuesday 20 October in the Champions League league phase, a third-matchday fixture kicking off at 21:00, as Gian Piero Gasperini's side look for their first win in the competition. Roma have one point from two games after a draw with Fenerbahce and a 4-3 defeat to Real Madrid, while Slovan are still on zero points. Roma return to Europe on the back of a 2-0 Serie A win over Genoa, coached by Daniele De Rossi, at the Olimpico on Saturday, with goals from Castro and Lulli in the second half. Gasperini rotated heavily after the demanding Real Madrid game. Slovan have lost both opening matches heavily, 6-1 to Paris Saint-Germain and 3-0 to Stuttgart, before a 3-0 away win over Spartak Trnava in the league. Roma's injury list remains long. Mile Svilar is out with a stress fracture to the fifth toe of his foot, so Pierluigi Gollini is expected to keep his place in goal. Manu Koné is sidelined by a first-degree muscle tear suffered against Real Madrid, and Bryan Cristante is aiming to be back for the Serie A match against Napoli. Paulo Dybala has also been ruled out: he initially seemed set to attempt a return for the Champions League, but the latest tests revealed a small calf injury, and Gasperini said he will be out for about another two weeks. The expected Roma side is a 3-4-2-1 with Gollini; Mancini, N'Dicka and Hermoso in defence; Lulli, de Roon, Pisilli and Wesley in midfield; Soulé and Pellegrini behind Malen. Balerdi remains a possible option in central defence, while Lulli is favoured over Molina for the wing-back berth. Pellegrini is in contention with Mora for a place alongside Soulé. Roma's bench would include De Marzi, Vásquez, Balerdi, Koulierakis, Ghilardi, Rensch, Molina, Mora and Castro. Slovan Bratislava are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 under Yaya Touré, the formation they used in their recent European outings. Takac is in goal, with Blackman, Bajric, Markovic and Sandro Cruz in defence, and Mustafic and Pokorny in front of them. Barseghyan, Cristian Martinez and Camara are favoured for the attacking midfield, with Sporar leading the line and Griger pushing for a start. Slovan report no suspended players and no significant absences, and should have most of their squad available. The two clubs have met only twice in European competition, in the 2011/12 Europa League play-offs. Slovan won 1-0 away, and Roma could only draw 1-1 at the Olimpico, sending the Slovaks through 2-1 on aggregate. Tuesday's match is the first meeting between the two sides in the Champions League. The match will be broadcast live on Sky Sport and streamed via Sky Go and NOW. Official line-ups will be confirmed about an hour before kickoff at 21:00 on Tuesday 20 October, and will be available as a live update on the Romanews page.

Gian Piero Gasperini has confirmed Paulo Dybala will be out for another two weeks, with the Argentine forward suffering a small tear ahead of Roma's match against Slovan. Gasperini said: "Ci vorranno altre due settimane. Ha una piccola lesione", which translates as "It will take another two weeks. He has a small tear." The coach admitted the club had hoped for a quicker recovery: "Speravamo fosse più veloce il recupero", meaning "We hoped the recovery would be faster." The news is a blow for Roma as Gasperini looks to rebuild momentum. The update came as the coach assessed Dybala's condition before the Slovan fixture, with the injury forcing a longer spell on the sidelines than initially expected. Related Roma coverage in the same news cycle has focused on Gasperini's view that Roma need 10 points to qualify for the playoffs, and his comments that Dybala's recovery will take longer. Sources also reported on the club's squad, with Santiago Castro drawing praise after a standout goal against Genoa, which Di Canio described as proof he is a superior player.

Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has confirmed that Paulo Dybala will be sidelined for at least two weeks after a scan revealed a minor tear, ahead of Roma's Champions League home match against Slovan Bratislava at the Stadio Olimpico tomorrow at 21:00. Speaking at his pre-match press conference at Trigoria, Gasperini said: "We hoped it would be a bit quicker, but the latest scan he had yesterday showed a minor tear too, which will mean a stop of at least two weeks." Roma are in the Champions League, third matchday, and need three points to climb the table. Gasperini said of their opponents: "It is a dynamic team, prepared athletically, and they have some excellent players. In the Champions League they are not among the top seeds, but we will certainly not underestimate them, because tomorrow we need to win to keep our chances of going through alive." Asked about the Champions League points target, he said: "Over these three years of the new format, the line has always been around 10 points. We need to win our home games starting with tomorrow's, and there is also the chance to pick up points away, although all those grounds are difficult. The aim is certainly to get back into that bracket." On Dybala, Gasperini was also asked about Cristante, who he said should be recoverable for the Napoli match, with a return to group training possible from Wednesday or Thursday. Gasperini added that the Dybala timeline had been longer than hoped. Asked about the rotation for tomorrow night, he said: "It is normal, because we still have some absences. We recover Malen, who was suspended. On Saturday we are at Napoli and another tough run begins, with Napoli, Cagliari, Udine and Manchester, so we must also think about some rotation, although what you prepare on paper rarely happens, because something else always happens on the pitch." On the midfield, Gasperini said Pisilli and De Roon had played three matches in a week, and that Pellegrini could play as a more advanced player or in midfield while Cristante is out. He said: "I hope Hermoso stays where he is and that this need doesn't arise." Asked about Castro and Malen playing together, Gasperini praised Castro's recent goal and said: "I don't want to distort the geometry and patterns of a team that is scoring and creating many chances just for the desire to show two players together. There is an attack that works, with different characteristics, and for now that's fine." On Lulli, Gasperini said he had noticed him last year and often included him in training. He said: "He has excellent physical qualities: his speed and endurance are truly top level, above the Serie A average. He is humble and wants to improve; he has a lot to grow, but a couple of characteristics above the average. When these situations arise, they must be pursued." On Mora and Gollini, Gasperini said Mora is in the rotation and has always played when available, adding: "He has a particular physique, he is small but very young. He has a talent that shows immediately, and we need to help him grow." On Gollini, he said: "He has always been an excellent goalkeeper, and we played the Champions League together. Over his career he lacked a bit of maturity, which he has reached now at an older age." Gasperini also addressed squad rotation after making seven changes against Genoa, saying: "We have some absences still, we recover Malen who was suspended, and then on Saturday we are at Napoli." He added that the squad had been managed carefully because the Genoa game had required physical preparation after the Real Madrid match. He said Slovan Bratislava, who have lost their first two Champions League matches, could not be underestimated: "We must win because the table demands it, but we will certainly face a prepared team."

Roma's probable starting line-up for their meeting with Slovan has been published, with Gian Piero Gasperini reportedly bringing back the No. 23 and Mario Hermoso returning to the defence. Gianluca Mancini is expected to start, while Soulé and Pellegrini are set to operate behind Malen. The central defensive berth is a contest between Leonardo Balerdi and Evan N'Dicka. Molina is pushing Lulli for a place at right-back, and in midfield Marten de Roon and Niccolò Pisilli are expected to start. Beyond the selection, the wider build-up has also produced news on the injury front. Paulo Dybala has a small tear and is expected to be out for a period, while Gasperini has said Roma need 10 points to qualify for the playoffs and that Dybala's recovery will take longer.

Roma host Slovan Bratislava at the Stadio Olimpico tomorrow at 21:00, and Gian Piero Gasperini is expected to make several changes to the side that played Genoa in the last league match. Slovan Bratislava are coached by Yaya Toure, according to the report. According to Sky Sport, Mancini and Hermoso return to start in defence, with N'Dicka confirmed at centre-back. Molina and Wesley are set to return on the flanks, while De Roon and Pisilli are expected in midfield. Soulé and Pellegrini are likely to support Malen up front. The probable Roma line-up in a 3-4-2-1 formation is: Gollini; Mancini, N'Dicka, Hermoso; Molina, Pisilli, De Roon, Wesley; Soulé, Pellegrini; Malen.

Slovan Bratislava head coach Yaya Touré and defender Kevin Wimmer spoke to reporters at the pre-match press conference ahead of their Champions League league-phase match against Roma, which takes place tomorrow, 20 October, at 21:00. The fixture is the third matchday of the league phase. Touré said he expected an interesting game and wanted to see his team's performance. "Roma are strong, with excellent players and an excellent coach. We have to give everything tomorrow evening." Asked whether the Stadio Olimpico is a special place for him, having already won the Champions League there, he said: "Yes, I hope it will be tomorrow too. Winning the Champions League is wonderful: the pitch will always be the same. I feel good, I am positive. We want to produce the best possible performance." On what he expects from the match, Touré said: "I expect a tough game after Real's comeback: they will want to get back on track. We want to play in the best way possible and give emotions to the 2000 fans who have travelled for us, always with respect for our opponents. Anything can happen in football." Asked for his view of Gian Piero Gasperini, Touré said: "You always learn. Gasperini has great experience and made an enormous contribution to Atalanta, improving every aspect of their game. The work he did there was incredible. For me it is complicated, but I want to think about things simply. We face a very strong team, with some absences, but they remain dangerous. They can hurt you. I focus on my own team." Touré also spoke of his emotions: "I am very excited. Roma are a huge club and having the chance to be here is an honour. It will be a fantastic experience for us. I hope to play an excellent game: we want to enjoy it." On how to stop Donyell Malen, Touré said: "Malen is in form, he is feeling great. He has always done well, including in the past. In recent matches he has scored several goals. It won't be easy: we will have to be aggressive from the start. Roma have quality. We need a great performance." Comparing with Roma's recent match against Milan, Touré said: "They are different games. Roma are strong defensively and press across the whole pitch: it is a very Italian style of play. They are tactically prepared, solid and also clinical. We must be aggressive and give them little space." When reminded that Roma lost to Slovan 15 years ago, he said: "I knew that: it was a great result for the club. We want to recreate the same atmosphere, although things have changed a lot. They are favourites, but we have not come here to watch. Let's see what we can do."