Gasperini praises Castro as major signing, calls for more recruits to complete squad

Udinese technical director Gianluca Nani has said his side will need a "half miracle" to take anything from tomorrow's clash with Roma, which he described as arriving at the wrong moment for the Friulian club. Speaking to broadcaster Retesport, Nani admitted he could not explain what was happening to Udinese, pointing to a "shameful" performance at Lecce although the side had produced good displays against Inter, Lazio and on other occasions. He acknowledged that Roma have found a strong balance under Gasperini, who is achieving "extraordinary results". Nani said: "We think our side is a good team. We know we face a very difficult commitment, because Roma have found a strong balance, with Gasperini achieving extraordinary results. We will face an extraordinary team, it is a match that comes at the wrong moment. At this moment we will need a half miracle. A year ago we won against the big teams, we also beat Roma, but we were at our peak physically and mentally. At the moment we are not at 100%, but there is quality." Asked about Udinese's approach, he declined to reveal their full plan, saying they would take inspiration from David and Goliath and use their strengths against an objectively superior side. He added that they must avoid some of the defensive distractions conceded in recent matches. On Nicolò Zaniolo, Nani was effusive: "He is a top player, and I can assure you that as a person he is a very good lad, despite certain narratives. He lives by instinct and great energy on the pitch, he is a great professional and an example in the dressing room. He encourages his teammates and wants to win on the pitch. I was fortunate to work with great champions such as Baggio, Guardiola or Toni. Niccolò has comparable quality; at Parma he returned after very few training sessions and the ball sang at his feet. I wish him the very best for us and for the national team." Finally, asked whether he had ever been offered the chance to work at Roma, Nani replied: "No direct contact, no, beyond some journalistic speculation. My career is still long, the best is yet to come."

Roma will travel from Udine to Manchester after Saturday's match at Udinese, having decided not to return to Rome in between. Their schedule is packed: Saturday's match in Friuli, then a Sunday morning training session at Udinese's sports centre, where the Friulani will host the giallorossi. Roma leave Trieste at 16:00 for England for the Champions League tie against Manchester United. On Monday, the eve of the game, Malen and his team-mates will train at Old Trafford at 19:00 Italian time. Gasperini's press conference, featuring one player, is scheduled for 18:20. The match against the Red Devils kicks off on Tuesday at 21:00. Roma will return to Italy on Wednesday morning rather than immediately after the game. Roma's next Serie A fixture is on Saturday 7 November, when they host Sassuolo at the Stadio Olimpico.

Paulo Dybala continued training individually at Trigoria on Wednesday, without rejoining the rest of the squad, a fresh sign that the Argentine is struggling to complete his recovery from the muscle injury he picked up against Real Madrid. Dybala is now all but certain to miss Saturday's trip to Udinese, which kicks off at 18:00, barring a surprise. Coach Gian Piero Gasperini had already voiced serious doubts after the win over Cagliari, explaining that the forward's recovery time had stretched beyond initial expectations. It remains to be determined whether Dybala can be available for the Champions League trip to Manchester United on 3 November. Sassuolo, on 7 November, remains the possible target the coach has indicated for his return. In a further update from Trigoria, Gasperini will not hold his usual press conference on the eve of the match. Tomorrow, Friday 30 October, the Giallorossi boss will not meet journalists before the Saturday fixture in Friuli, at a particularly intense point in the season, with Roma also facing the European commitment against Manchester United. The report was published by Giallorossi.net.

Bookmaker odds from all the major operators have been published ahead of Udinese vs Roma, according to Forzaroma.info's preview of the match. The article is headlined around the prediction and odds, with the prices from every bookmaker set out for the fixture. The piece sits alongside a cluster of Roma news from the same day. Ahead of the trip to Udine, Roma's probable line-up has been reported: Mora and Soulé are set to play behind Malen, with Ghilardi starting from the first minute. Balerdi, Castro, Soulé and Molina were pictured travelling to Udine on the flight, with the Argentine group playing cards on the journey. Elsewhere in the same news cycle, Italiano spoke about Castro after his goal against Genoa, saying: "Against Genoa a goal from a champion. In training he invented them." Runjaic also commented on Roma, stating: "Roma are fighting for the scudetto. Zaniolo is not at 100% but he will play." Separately, Brussels prosecutors have asked for two years in prison for former Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan on drug trafficking charges.

Former Bologna coach Vincenzo Italiano has praised Roma striker Santiago Castro after his goal against Genoa, calling it "a champion's move". Italiano, now enjoying his experience in Istanbul, spoke to Gianluca Di Marzio on Sky Calcio Unplugged and singled out the Argentine's finish as the highlight of the recent match. Italiano worked with Castro during his time at Bologna, where the two spent two seasons together. The former boss said the forward has a natural flair for the spectacular and that he has seen it on the training ground. The praise comes as Castro's goal put him back at the centre of attention around the club. Italiano said: "Against Genoa he scored a great goal, a move worthy of a champion. Santi has those kinds of moves in him. In training, in those two years at Bologna, he kept inventing moves like an Argentine, a player who inside the box has so often managed to score important goals."

The four Argentines in the Roma squad — Leonardo Balerdi, Santiago Castro, Matías Soulé and Nahuel Molina — were pictured playing cards on the flight that took the team to Udine, where Roma face Runjaic's side tomorrow with a 6pm kick-off. The group played on a personalised table bearing the Argentina national team crest and the shirt numbers of all five of the group's players, including the No. 21 of Paulo Dybala, who will not be available for the match tomorrow either. The photo published by the club has already gone viral on social media. The Argentine contingent at the club has grown considerably in the latest summer transfer window, and the image highlights the close bond within the group as Roma prepare for the trip to the Friuli. The snapshot captures the mix of smiles, concentration and friendly rivalry that marks the group's time together on the road, with the cards game the highlight of the journey.

Roma begin a run of five matches that are on paper favourable when they face Udinese at the Friuli today, 31 October, a sequence that could lift them up the table and leave them close to, if not ahead of, Lazio by the Rome derby on 13 December. La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that after a win over Cagliari that came with some scares, Roma head into the game in Udine with Gasperini's plan taking shape. Before the international break, Roma are set to face sides in difficulty, namely Udinese, Sassuolo, Parma, Monza and Bologna. Between those fixtures come the demanding Champions League trips to Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain, but the article suggests the conditions to push on are all there. Roma are chasing an eighth win of the season to stay attached to the leading group and keep moving forward. For today's game, with Udinese going through a difficult moment and looking for a way back, Gasperini is set to rotate ahead of the trip to England. There will be changes and continuity: Ghilardi and Balerdi lead the defence, Wesley is on the left, while the attacking thrust will again be entrusted to Donyell Malen, who already has ten goals this season, and Matías Soulé, increasingly decisive on the right flank. Roma are looking to stay in touch with the group at the top and keep up the pace.

Niccolò Pisilli is set to start for the sixth consecutive time when Roma play at Udine tonight, with Manu Koné absent, and he has become one of Gian Piero Gasperini's main goal sources this season. The 2004-born midfielder has already scored four goals this campaign, making him Roma's second-highest scorer after Donyell Malen, who has 10. Gasperini's side has seen almost the whole squad find the net so far this season, and Pisilli is increasingly the extra goalscorer in the team. Pisilli has reached 10 career goals at 22 years old, with 82 appearances to his name. That is quicker than Daniele De Rossi, who scored his tenth goal for Roma in his 105th appearance in the yellow and red, at the age of 22 years and 7 months. Gasperini has a long history of getting goals from midfielders, with Pasalic, Koopmeiners and the Bergamo-era Cristante all enjoying productive spells under him, and Pisilli now joins that list. The report is written by Francesco Balzani for La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Roma travel to the Bluenergy Stadium to face Udinese on Saturday 31 October at 18:00, in Serie A matchday 10. Gian Piero Gasperini's side arrive after a 4-2 win over Cagliari that moved them into third place with 21 points. Udinese, coached by Kosta Runjaic, ended a run of six consecutive defeats with a 0-0 draw at Parma, but have not scored in three matches and have collected just five points from their first nine games. Runiajc has confirmed the absences of Solet, Bayo, Zanoli and Alaba. Okoye is expected in goal, with Abankwah, Kabasele and Palma in the back three and Vojvoda and Kamara on the flanks. Karlstrom is set to anchor midfield alongside either Zarraga or Piotrowski, while Zaniolo and Ekkelenkamp support Davis up front. Bertola has recovered from injury. Gueye is also unavailable for the hosts. Roma are without Svilar, Koné, Pellegrini and Dybala, who has not been included in the squad. Gollini keeps his place in goal. Gasperini is expected to rotate heavily in defence, with Ghilardi, Balerdi and Hermoso favoured, while Mancini and N'Dicka are initially set to rest. Lulli and Wesley will operate on the flanks, with Cristante and Pisilli in midfield and De Roon given a breather. Soulé, Rodrigo Mora and Malen are confirmed up front. Both teams line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation. The match will be broadcast exclusively on DAZN, via the DAZN app on smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, consoles and computers, and on the DAZN 1 channel for satellite subscribers who have activated the option. There is no live coverage on the traditional Sky Sport channels. Kick-off is at 18:00 on Saturday 31 October. Bookmakers make Roma clear favourites. Udinese are priced between 5.50 and 5.70, a draw between 4.20 and 4.50, and a Roma win between 1.52 and 1.57. Market probabilities give Roma around a 60% chance of victory. Bookmakers also expect goals, with Over 2.5 favoured over Under, and Goal offered at a relatively low price. Roma have the second-best attack in the league. The most likely correct score is a 1-2 Roma win, priced around 7.00-7.50, ahead of 1-1, 0-1 and 0-2. The referee is Fabio Maresca of Napoli, with assistants Lo Cicero and Rossi L., Daniele Chiffi as fourth official, Daniele Paterna as VAR and Gianluca Aureliano as AVAR.

Gian Piero Gasperini has named a 22-man squad for Roma's trip to Udinese on Saturday 31 October at 18:00 at the Bluenergy Stadium, in Serie A matchday 10. Paulo Dybala will miss the match, as the coach had already indicated, while young players Di Nunzio and Camara are included. The goalkeepers are Vasquez, De Marzi and Gollini. The defenders are Rensch, Koulierakis, Ndicka, Molina, Hermoso, Mancini, Balerdi, Wesley, Lulli and Ghilardi. The midfielders are Cristante, De Roon, Pisilli, Di Nunzio and Mora, and the forwards are Castro, Malen, Soulé and Camara. The kit colours have also been confirmed. Roma will play in their traditional red first shirt, while the goalkeeper will wear yellow. The Giallorossi players on the bench will wear blue bibs. The match in Friuli is Roma's last league fixture before the European trip against Manchester United, scheduled for 3 November. Former Roma and Udinese midfielder Stefano Desideri spoke to Romanews on the eve of the match, analysing Roma's current form and their prospects for the rest of the season. Desideri does not fully share the criticism linked to fatigue after the win over Cagliari. He said: "With all the rotations and the adjustments, Roma have held up more than well," recalling the many closely spaced matches and injuries. He also praised Cristante, whom he considers "more and more of a leader" and a reference point for the younger players, and De Roon, whose impact he described as "impressive". In the table, Desideri places Roma and Inter ahead of their rivals, while acknowledging the surprising results of Lazio and the work of Como, who could remain at a high level until the end. On Udinese, he admits he did not expect such a difficult start: "They must pull themselves out by any means" to avoid getting drawn into the relegation battle. Looking ahead to the winter window, Desideri said he does not expect big deals: "I don't believe much in it." Nonetheless, he feels Gasperini's side could need "another midfielder" and "a winger", provided there are concrete and convenient opportunities. Roma are also weighing possible reinforcements for the winter window. Among the names linked with the club is Lisandro Martínez, the Argentine defender at Manchester United, whose contract expires on 30 June. According to the Spanish newspaper AS, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid have set their sights on the player. In Italy, Inter and Como are reportedly also evaluating the centre-back's profile, alongside Roma, to strengthen their defensive department.

Gian Piero Gasperini has released his squad list for Udinese vs Roma, a Serie A matchday 10 fixture taking place tomorrow at 18:00. Paulo Dybala is ruled out of the trip. The squad is made up of ten defenders: Rensch, Koulierakis, N'Dicka, Molina, Hermoso, Mancini, Balerdi, Wesley, Lulli and Ghilardi. The midfield options are Cristante, De Roon, Pisilli, Di Nunzio and Mora. The attacking group includes Castro, Malen, Soulé and Camara. Di Nunzio and Camara both feature in the travelling party, with Dybala the only notable absence from the list. The matchday 10 trip to Udine comes as Roma look to keep pace in the Serie A table.

Roma travel to Udine for Saturday's Serie A tenth-round fixture against Udinese, which kicks off at 18:00 at the Bluenergy Stadium on 31 October. Gian Piero Gasperini has named a 22-man squad for the trip to Friuli. Paulo Dybala remains absent, as the coach had announced recently, while the young players Di Nunzio and Camara make the journey to Udine. The defensive options are Rensch, Koulierakis, N'Dicka, Molina, Hermoso, Mancini, Balerdi, Wesley, Lulli and Ghilardi. In midfield, Cristante, De Roon, Pisilli, Di Nunzio and Mora are included. The attacking group consists of Castro, Malen, Soulé and Camara. The full squad list is set for the visit to the Friuli club, with Gasperini having the 22 players available for the match.