Gasperini to rotate squad across gruelling nine-match run

Roman radio stations offer their verdicts on Roma's upcoming fixture against Como, with opinion split on Gasperini's midfield selection. Simone Valdarchi from Radio Manà Manà suggested that whether Gasperini opts for Pellegrini or Rodrigo Mora will not represent a defensive choice, but rather depend on each player's willingness to press Como's build-up play from the start. Roberto Pruzzo of Radio Radio Mattino flagged the Champions League context as a conditioning factor for both sides, noting that a long international break brings uncertainty and that reaching +6 on Fabregas's Como would be significant for Roma. Mario Mattioli, also of Radio Radio Mattino, dismissed concerns about midfielder Marten de Roon. "I don't understand the doubts about de Roon," Mattioli said. "He is an inexhaustible engine in midfield." Mattioli acknowledged Como as a strong team but stressed that Roma's squad carries greater experience overall. He characterised the Giallorossi as flying on the wings of enthusiasm despite some organisational gaps in certain areas of the squad. The discourse reflects the prominence of Rome's radio culture, which hosts a unique ecosystem of stations, journalists, former players and opinion-formers who shape debate around the club in ways unmatched elsewhere in Italy.

Roma are preparing a significant bid of close to €25 million to sign Frosinone left winger Giorgi Kvernadze, a priority target for head coach Gian Piero Gasperini and sporting director Tony D'Amico. The Georgian, born in 2003, has made an explosive start to the season with 5 goals and 2 assists, showcasing technical ability, pace and continuous dribbling that has earned him the Serie A lead in successful dribbles. Kvernadze plays as a natural right-footer capable of devastating one-on-one play, a profile Roma have identified as the dominant left winger they need after failed attempts to sign Summerville and Leweling. Roma face competition from Premier League and Bundesliga clubs monitoring Kvernadze closely, but the club lead the race. The Georgian has also attracted interest in comparisons to compatriot Kvaratskhelia, with whom he shares the same agent and similar movement patterns. Kvernadze has overcome rival candidate Jamie Bynoe-Gittens in Roma's thinking. Having developed in Georgia through Saburtalo and Dinamo Batumi before joining Frosinone, the winger would be positioned alongside Paulo Dybala's quality and Donyell Malen's power in Roma's attack, offering the chance to make the decisive step into elite football.

Roma routed Sorianese 20-0 in a training match at Trigoria on 8 October, with Rodrigo Mora and Lorenzo Pellegrini among the standout performers in a session that has given head coach Gian Piero Gasperini fresh insight into his squad ahead of Sunday's fixture at Como. The friendly's primary value lay not in the scoreline—inevitably skewed by the gap in category between Serie A and the Eccellenza Laziale side—but in the individual responses Gasperini observed. The attacking third remains the only genuine area of tactical debate for the Como trip, and Mora and Pellegrini both delivered encouraging displays. Mora, deployed alongside Paulo Dybala in support of Donyell Malen, continues to hold the edge as favourite to start at the Sinigaglia, having returned from Portugal Under-21 duty with strong match sharpness. The Portuguese midfielder arrives with significant minutes on his legs and showed immediate brilliance upon his return. Pellegrini, meanwhile, has made considerable progress in his recovery from a lengthy injury layoff and used the international break to work uninterrupted at Trigoria. He responded well in the test, though Gasperini appears likely to favour Mora's greater match rhythm for the opener—Pellegrini has not featured in an official match for several months and may be introduced from the bench as the game develops. Matías Soulé, by contrast, stands further down the pecking order for Como after only recently returning from Argentina, where he has been completing recovery from his intercontinental travel. The broad picture presents three contenders for one starting spot, but Mora has gained ground on his rivals in recent hours. The outcome will become clear when Roma face Como on Sunday.

Rodrigo Mora is in line to start on the trequarti for Roma's trip to Como on Sunday, having impressed with Portugal Under 21 with a goal and an assist across three matches. Matías Soulé will train with the main group for the first time on 9 October, while Lorenzo Pellegrini returns after six months out through injury. Mora started today against Sorianese, putting him ahead of both teammates in the pecking order according to Sky Sport. Pellegrini featured in the second half of that friendly. The forward pairing of Donyell Malen and Paulo Dybala is unchanged. At the back, Evan N'Dicka is favored over Leonardo Balerdi, while Marten de Roon steps in midfield in place of the injured Bryan Cristante.

Roma travel to Como on Sunday at 12:30 with the aim of maintaining their position at the top of the table. Gian Piero Gasperini has confirmed that Donyell Malen and Wesley are fully fit after both featured in a friendly played today, recovering from earlier absences. Gasperini has minor doubts in defence but expects to field Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso as his back three, with Leonardo Balerdi pushing for a place after returning from a trip overseas. Marten de Roon will replace Bryan Cristante in midfield alongside Manu Koné, while Nahuel Molina and Wesley occupy the flanks. Rodrigo Mora is set to start as an attacking midfielder, ahead of Paulo Dybala and Lorenzo Pellegrini, with Donyell Malen leading the line. Roma's probable formation: Svilar; Mancini, N'Dicka, Hermoso; Molina, Koné, De Roon, Wesley; Dybala, Rodrigo Mora; Malen.

Roma held a friendly match against Sorianese, a team from the Eccellenza division, at Trigoria on the morning of 8 October as Gian Piero Gasperini's squad continued preparations for Sunday's trip to Como. The most significant development came with Donyell Malen and Wesley returning to full group training after working only partially with their teammates in recent sessions, confirming their progress towards the Sinigaglia fixture. Manu Koné and Rodrigo Mora also trained with the squad after returning from international duty. Gasperini is close to having almost his entire squad available just days before the league resumes, with Matías Soulé, Santiago Castro and Leonardo Balerdi undergoing a recovery session following their long journey back from Argentina. From tomorrow the coach should have virtually the full group at his disposal, with the exception of the injured Bryan Cristante.

Roman radio stations offer their verdicts on Roma's upcoming fixture against Como, with opinion split on Gasperini's midfield selection. Simone Valdarchi from Radio Manà Manà suggested that whether Gasperini opts for Pellegrini or Rodrigo Mora will not represent a defensive choice, but rather depend on each player's willingness to press Como's build-up play from the start. Roberto Pruzzo of Radio Radio Mattino flagged the Champions League context as a conditioning factor for both sides, noting that a long international break brings uncertainty and that reaching +6 on Fabregas's Como would be significant for Roma. Mario Mattioli, also of Radio Radio Mattino, dismissed concerns about midfielder Marten de Roon. "I don't understand the doubts about de Roon," Mattioli said. "He is an inexhaustible engine in midfield." Mattioli acknowledged Como as a strong team but stressed that Roma's squad carries greater experience overall. He characterised the Giallorossi as flying on the wings of enthusiasm despite some organisational gaps in certain areas of the squad. The discourse reflects the prominence of Rome's radio culture, which hosts a unique ecosystem of stations, journalists, former players and opinion-formers who shape debate around the club in ways unmatched elsewhere in Italy.

Rodrigo Mora is in line to start on the trequarti for Roma's trip to Como on Sunday, having impressed with Portugal Under 21 with a goal and an assist across three matches. Matías Soulé will train with the main group for the first time on 9 October, while Lorenzo Pellegrini returns after six months out through injury. Mora started today against Sorianese, putting him ahead of both teammates in the pecking order according to Sky Sport. Pellegrini featured in the second half of that friendly. The forward pairing of Donyell Malen and Paulo Dybala is unchanged. At the back, Evan N'Dicka is favored over Leonardo Balerdi, while Marten de Roon steps in midfield in place of the injured Bryan Cristante.

Roma travel to Como on Sunday at 12:30 with the aim of maintaining their position at the top of the table. Gian Piero Gasperini has confirmed that Donyell Malen and Wesley are fully fit after both featured in a friendly played today, recovering from earlier absences. Gasperini has minor doubts in defence but expects to field Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso as his back three, with Leonardo Balerdi pushing for a place after returning from a trip overseas. Marten de Roon will replace Bryan Cristante in midfield alongside Manu Koné, while Nahuel Molina and Wesley occupy the flanks. Rodrigo Mora is set to start as an attacking midfielder, ahead of Paulo Dybala and Lorenzo Pellegrini, with Donyell Malen leading the line. Roma's probable formation: Svilar; Mancini, N'Dicka, Hermoso; Molina, Koné, De Roon, Wesley; Dybala, Rodrigo Mora; Malen.

Gian Piero Gasperini is within touching distance of a landmark achievement ahead of Roma's visit to Como on Sunday. A victory would take the 68-year-old into an elite group of Serie A managers—alongside Trapattoni, Allegri, Spalletti and Rocco—with 300 top-flight wins. The milestone will come from 157 victories with Atalanta, 49 with Roma, 88 with Genoa, and six with Crotone and Palermo combined. Yet Gasperini's priority is restoring Roma to the form shown in the first part of the season after a dip in their title chase. The fixture carries intrigue beyond the standings: Gasperini, the oldest manager in Serie A at nearly 69, faces Como's Carles Fabregas, the youngest at 39. The pair share a past as midfielders and faced some tension last season. Both sides have positioned themselves among Serie A's most prolific attackers after five matches. Roma lead for touches in the opponent's penalty area with 219, ahead of Como's 209; the two clubs rank alongside Inter as the league's most productive in terms of shots, shots on target and Expected Goals. Fabregas's side will offer no soft target at the Stadio Sinigaglia. Gasperini told Corriere di Bergamo: "The plan is to win the Scudetto within three years, but maybe we could do it sooner. We are aware the road is long. In football there are no straight paths. There will be ups and downs. If we can manage them, who knows." Rodrigo Mora is pushing for a starting place alongside Lorenzo Pellegrini and Matías Soulé in attack, with Donyell Malen and Paulo Dybala also in contention. Manu Koné and Wesley returned to training during a closed friendly with Sorianese; Santiago Castro, Balerdi and Soulé—back after attending Lionel Messi's farewell celebration—will rejoin the group today.

Roma prepare for Sunday's 12:30 kickoff against Como at the Sinigaglia with fresh tactical notes from a recent friendly. In a training session against Sorianese, Gasperini tested Rodrigo Mora as a starter alongside Paulo Dybala, with Donyell Malen completing the attacking trio. Mora is therefore in contention for a first-minute place. Malen and Wesley completed full training and are confirmed fit to start, while Leonardo Balerdi, Matías Soulé and Santiago Castro completed only recovery work and will not be deployed from the outset against Como. José Mourinho will arrive at the Stadio Olimpico as an opponent in six days when his Real Madrid face Roma in the second round of the Champions League. In an interview with Corriere dello Sport, Mourinho reflected on his time in the giallorossi colours, calling the bond "unique and special". He recalled the fans' reception, the Conference League triumph and the Budapest final, while noting that the split with the ownership came after UEFA sanctions imposed in the aftermath of that match. On returning to the Olympic Stadium: "It will be different. I will have to prepare myself to enter that stadium without the passion of the Roma fans." Mourinho spoke of his relationship with former clubs and his affection for Francesco Totti. Santiago Castro spoke to TNT Sports of his emotions after his Argentina debut and witnessing Lionel Messi's final international match up close. The Roma forward explained that the group aimed to win "out of respect for the fans", stressing that with Messi "there are no friendlies". Castro said he had not fully processed the moment: "I looked at the photos all night." He emphasised the importance of daily work at Roma to ensure continued selection: "Getting to the national team is the maximum. I want always to be there, but I have to earn it." Roma had identified Endrick as an ideal attacking reinforcement, but Real Madrid appeared intent on retaining him. According to Fabrizio Romano, no final decision has been reached and the next two months will be decisive. Should the Brazilian's playing time remain low, Real could reopen the possibility of a loan in January, similar to what happened last year with a move to Lyon.

Roma will face Como on Sunday 11 October at 12:30 at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia in Serie A's sixth round of matches, resuming their campaign after the international break. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has already begun preparing the side, using a warm-up friendly against Sernanese to test his lineup. Rodrigo Mora (Portugal) was deployed as a starter alongside Paulo Dybala, operating behind Donyell Malen, and the Portuguese midfielder is keen to earn a first-team place in the fixture against Como, managed by Cesc Fàbregas. Three Argentine squad members—Leonardo Balerdi, Santiago Castro and Matías Soulé—recently returned from international duty and will only complete their first group training session tomorrow, so they will not start against Como. This decision reflects Gasperini's management of workload and recovery for players just back from the break.