Ghilardi in line for Italy call as Lulli and Pisilli head to Under 21

Donyell Malen has emerged as one of the standout performers in Roma's strong start to the 2026–27 season, scoring 6 goals and providing 1 assist in the club's opening matches under Gian Piero Gasperini. His form has reignited interest from Premier League clubs, a competition he knows from his previous spell with Aston Villa. Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City are reportedly tracking the Dutch forward, with Arsenal having initiated informal contact to gauge his situation, according to Ekrem Konur. However, no formal negotiations have been opened with Roma and no official offer has been tabled. Malen himself has not ruled out a potential return to England, though any move remains premature at this stage. Roma's position is resolute: the club will not part with Malen in January and has no intention of dismantling a squad built to compete across multiple fronts. The Giallorossi view the forward as central to Gasperini's technical project and have reportedly valued him at around 60 million euros. Roma secured Malen permanently from Aston Villa at the end of last season, and his contract with the club runs until 30 June 2030. The strength of Roma's position depends on the arrival of concrete offers and, crucially, Malen's own willingness to leave.

Roberto Mancini, back as Italy manager after three years away, is planning fresh faces in his squad selections as the national team embarks on a new era following their World Cup qualifying failure. According to Sky Sport's Peppe Di Stefano, Doumbia, Romano and Ali Zoma will feature in upcoming call-ups. The trio have impressed the coach: Doumbia moved to Sporting after two seasons at Venezia, Romano has made a strong start at Cagliari, and Ali Zoma is impressing Nuremberg's supporters in the German second division. Samuele Inácio, a Borussia Dortmund talent, is also confirmed in Mancini's thinking; all three players have chosen to represent Italy despite holding dual nationality. Mancini is also reviewing Kayode, though the player could be left with Italy's Under-21 squad for their important fixtures, while Retegui may similarly be rested. Among attacking wingers, Vergara is currently ahead of his club-mate Politano for selection. Mancini is working closely with Under-21 coach Baldini on young talent who have performed well but will remain at U21 level for now, notably Milan's Cissè, who has made an impressive start under Amorim. Five players have been deliberately left in the U21 setup: Lulli, Raimondo, Koleosho, Ndour and Pisilli.

Roma will face Inter at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday, 19 September at 18:00 in a Series A fifth-round fixture that pits two of the season's strongest starts directly against each other. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has reported that nearly his full squad is available for the match after Evan N'Dicka recovered from a gastrointestinal issue and Wesley returned to training following a strong ankle contusion sustained during a European fixture in Istanbul. Both players have been in doubt but are now fit to feature. Roma have won their opening four league matches — beating Fiorentina, Lecce, Atalanta and Torino — to sit on 12 points at the fifth-round stage. Inter arrive at the same points total with an identical record, making the Olimpico clash a direct contest between the Serie A's two unbeaten leaders. The fixture carries significant weight as a first summit meeting in the upper reaches of the table. Historically at the Olimpico, Roma hold the advantage over Inter: in 105 previous meetings there, Roma have won 42, Inter 36, with 27 draws. Roma have also scored more goals at home against Inter, registering 168 to Inter's 152. The last meeting at the stadium came on 10 October 2025, when Inter won 1-0. Gasperini is expected to field a 3-4-2-1 formation with Mile Svilar in goal, a defensive line of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso, and Wesley and Emanuele Lulli as full-backs. Bryan Cristante and Manu Koné will anchor midfield. Paulo Dybala and Matías Soulé will operate in attacking midfield roles behind Donyell Malen. Leonardo Balerdi remains a candidate to displace N'Dicka from the starting XI after strong recent performances. Inter, managed by Cristian Chivu, face more pressing fitness concerns: Hakan Calhanoglu missed the last match with an adductor strain and his availability remains uncertain, while John Stones was withdrawn in their previous fixture with a muscular issue. No Roma players are suspended or unavailable. The match will be broadcast live on DAZN and Sky. Official team sheets will be released approximately one hour before the scheduled 18:00 kickoff on Saturday, 19 September.

Roma will face Inter at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday, 19 September at 18:00 in a Series A fifth-round fixture that pits two of the season's strongest starts directly against each other. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has reported that nearly his full squad is available for the match after Evan N'Dicka recovered from a gastrointestinal issue and Wesley returned to training following a strong ankle contusion sustained during a European fixture in Istanbul. Both players have been in doubt but are now fit to feature. Roma have won their opening four league matches — beating Fiorentina, Lecce, Atalanta and Torino — to sit on 12 points at the fifth-round stage. Inter arrive at the same points total with an identical record, making the Olimpico clash a direct contest between the Serie A's two unbeaten leaders. The fixture carries significant weight as a first summit meeting in the upper reaches of the table. Historically at the Olimpico, Roma hold the advantage over Inter: in 105 previous meetings there, Roma have won 42, Inter 36, with 27 draws. Roma have also scored more goals at home against Inter, registering 168 to Inter's 152. The last meeting at the stadium came on 10 October 2025, when Inter won 1-0. Gasperini is expected to field a 3-4-2-1 formation with Mile Svilar in goal, a defensive line of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso, and Wesley and Emanuele Lulli as full-backs. Bryan Cristante and Manu Koné will anchor midfield. Paulo Dybala and Matías Soulé will operate in attacking midfield roles behind Donyell Malen. Leonardo Balerdi remains a candidate to displace N'Dicka from the starting XI after strong recent performances. Inter, managed by Cristian Chivu, face more pressing fitness concerns: Hakan Calhanoglu missed the last match with an adductor strain and his availability remains uncertain, while John Stones was withdrawn in their previous fixture with a muscular issue. No Roma players are suspended or unavailable. The match will be broadcast live on DAZN and Sky. Official team sheets will be released approximately one hour before the scheduled 18:00 kickoff on Saturday, 19 September.

Gianluca Mancini has silenced his doubters with an impressive performance, capping a week in which the Roma defender faced scrutiny over errors in matches against Atalanta and Fenerbahce. A selfie with children outside Trigoria yesterday underscored his commitment to the giallorossi colours. After coming under fire from some quarters who called for Leonardo Balerdi to replace him, Mancini delivered a strong showing, even taking the captain's armband after Bryan Cristante's substitution. Inter, who made a significant move for him in the summer, now face him as an opponent — a test of the resolve Mancini showed when he chose Roma over a financially superior offer elsewhere. The 23-year-old has committed his future to the club, signing a contract extension through 2029. He is expected to start on Saturday in the heart of Roma's defence alongside Mario Hermoso and either Evan N'Dicka or Balerdi as the team prepares to confront Inter's attacking threat. Mancini could have decided to face Roma as an adversary this summer, but rejected that path. Instead, he is set to enjoy a Serie A campaign that has begun with high expectations and his first Champions League season as a key player.

Radio Roma commentators are backing Roma to upset Inter in their upcoming league fixture, with analyst Mario Mattioli declaring Roma in the better psychological state to spring a surprise. Mattioli said: "Never like this time can Roma pull off a trick on Inter: in my view at this moment I see them superior to the Nerazzurri in character and psychological predisposition, I see them very consistent. Inter has more ups and downs: they concede two goals but then overturn it. Never like this time can Roma win it. But if the match doesn't open up in regular time, I don't rule out that in the end it could finish in a draw." Roma have not beaten Inter since November 2018, but commentators believe the pressure-based system Gasperini has installed offers a route to victory. David Rossi highlighted that "Roma has understood what the manager wants, they all go in the same direction, there's no one who breaks ranks. Inter is a team that suffers under pressure… when pressed well, man-to-man, it can run into difficulty." Fabio Petruzzi praised the conviction shown against Turin, noting Roma "doesn't fear playing high, plays with the defence on the midfield line, doesn't fear conceding goals. It's a calculated risk. The mentality of going onto any pitch and not fearing one-v-one football across the entire field is the most beautiful thing." Nando Orsi cautioned that the fixture will be revealing, saying: "This match can give different judgements compared to what we've seen so far because neither of the two has faced important teams until now." Francesca Ferrazza anticipated tactical rotation, predicting: "Gasperini doesn't put out the usual formation, in my view on Saturday with a more advanced midfielder in Cristante or Pisilli, and putting Dybala and Malen up front." The defence remains a live selection question. Alessio Nardo noted that the Mancini–Balerdi–Hermoso trio is "perhaps one of the fiercest trios and most temperamental," while Lorenzo Pes assessed the Balerdi versus Ndícka choice as "50–50," noting Ndícka's familiarity with the defensive unit may give him the edge. Roberto Pruzzo, a Roma legend, expressed concern about Inter's strength in depth, observing they have two squads and reacted powerfully after conceding two goals in recent form.

Roberto Mancini, back as Italy manager after three years away, is planning fresh faces in his squad selections as the national team embarks on a new era following their World Cup qualifying failure. According to Sky Sport's Peppe Di Stefano, Doumbia, Romano and Ali Zoma will feature in upcoming call-ups. The trio have impressed the coach: Doumbia moved to Sporting after two seasons at Venezia, Romano has made a strong start at Cagliari, and Ali Zoma is impressing Nuremberg's supporters in the German second division. Samuele Inácio, a Borussia Dortmund talent, is also confirmed in Mancini's thinking; all three players have chosen to represent Italy despite holding dual nationality. Mancini is also reviewing Kayode, though the player could be left with Italy's Under-21 squad for their important fixtures, while Retegui may similarly be rested. Among attacking wingers, Vergara is currently ahead of his club-mate Politano for selection. Mancini is working closely with Under-21 coach Baldini on young talent who have performed well but will remain at U21 level for now, notably Milan's Cissè, who has made an impressive start under Amorim. Five players have been deliberately left in the U21 setup: Lulli, Raimondo, Koleosho, Ndour and Pisilli.

Roma will face Inter at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday, 19 September at 18:00 in a Series A fifth-round fixture that pits two of the season's strongest starts directly against each other. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has reported that nearly his full squad is available for the match after Evan N'Dicka recovered from a gastrointestinal issue and Wesley returned to training following a strong ankle contusion sustained during a European fixture in Istanbul. Both players have been in doubt but are now fit to feature. Roma have won their opening four league matches — beating Fiorentina, Lecce, Atalanta and Torino — to sit on 12 points at the fifth-round stage. Inter arrive at the same points total with an identical record, making the Olimpico clash a direct contest between the Serie A's two unbeaten leaders. The fixture carries significant weight as a first summit meeting in the upper reaches of the table. Historically at the Olimpico, Roma hold the advantage over Inter: in 105 previous meetings there, Roma have won 42, Inter 36, with 27 draws. Roma have also scored more goals at home against Inter, registering 168 to Inter's 152. The last meeting at the stadium came on 10 October 2025, when Inter won 1-0. Gasperini is expected to field a 3-4-2-1 formation with Mile Svilar in goal, a defensive line of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso, and Wesley and Emanuele Lulli as full-backs. Bryan Cristante and Manu Koné will anchor midfield. Paulo Dybala and Matías Soulé will operate in attacking midfield roles behind Donyell Malen. Leonardo Balerdi remains a candidate to displace N'Dicka from the starting XI after strong recent performances. Inter, managed by Cristian Chivu, face more pressing fitness concerns: Hakan Calhanoglu missed the last match with an adductor strain and his availability remains uncertain, while John Stones was withdrawn in their previous fixture with a muscular issue. No Roma players are suspended or unavailable. The match will be broadcast live on DAZN and Sky. Official team sheets will be released approximately one hour before the scheduled 18:00 kickoff on Saturday, 19 September.

Gasperini made three tactical adjustments in the 55th minute during Roma's match against Torino, transforming the side from their standard 3-4-1-2 formation into a more compact 3-5-2 to protect the midfield and manage the game at a critical moment. With Roma bright in the first half but tiring in the second, and Torino pressing harder after their tactical shift, the coach reshaped his defence and midfield: Balerdi dropped to midfield during out-of-possession phases, allowing Mancini to slot into the back three, while Lulli moved to the right as a centre-back and Soulé was lowered to the right flank to provide additional balance. The adjustment proved decisive, giving Roma greater defensive cover without sacrificing attacking threat and allowing them to resist Torino's pressure before securing victory with late goals from Malen and Dybala. The change exemplified Gasperini's approach to in-game management—reading the match, shifting shape at the right moment, and maintaining Roma's identity while adapting to opposition movements. Where Torino's increased intensity and the injection of Braganca had created danger, Roma's new shape absorbed pressure and controlled the midfield space. Gasperini's willingness to vary his setup without abandoning his 3-4-1-2 framework, toggling between formations as circumstances demand, has become a hallmark of his tenure at the club. The tactical evolution comes with Inter's visit next on the horizon—another fixture demanding close reading of the game and precision in execution. Gasperini's Roma are proving capable of winning through detail, intensity, and sustained concentration across the full 90 minutes, qualities the coach is embedding as the side plots their course through the season.

Roma have conceded just one goal in their opening four league matches, reflecting the defensive solidity Gasperini has built with a central defence of the highest calibre. The additions of Balerdi and Koulierakis have reinforced a department already well-established, creating what Gasperini probably hoped to have available last season but did not. The wealth of options is now reshaping how the side defends. Evan N'Dicka commands the backline with his reading of play; Balerdi has impressed from the bench and in his league debut against Torino, winning over Roma's supporters. Gianluca Mancini has weathered early-season difficulties to deliver a strong performance at Torino. Mario Hermoso, the ever-reliable figure, has anchored the defence through demanding fixtures. Daniele Ghilardi impressed at Lecce, and Koulierakis waits his turn—however the combinations rotate, the defence stands as Roma's most complete department. Behind them, the goalkeeper between the posts no longer makes headlines, his standards now expected rather than celebrated. Roma lead Serie A with a single goal conceded so far. Among Europe's five major leagues, only Arsenal can match that defensive record. This defensive foundation arrives before Roma face Inter, whose forward line of Lautaro Martínez, Thuram, Esposito and Bonny has shown defensive frailty in their early season outings.

Gasperini faces the kind of problem he would have welcomed last season: an abundance of defensive options. Evan N'Dicka excels at difficult tackles, rarely conceding chances. Leonardo Balerdi has impressed from the bench and earned a starting place against Torino. Gianluca Mancini, despite early errors, showed his resilience at Torino. Mario Hermoso has steadied the backline in these opening matches, anchoring Roma through difficult moments. Daniele Ghilardi impressed at Lecce, and Konstantinos Koulierakis provides further depth—however the defence is composed, it remains Roma's most complete department. The numbers validate Gasperini's setup. Roma have conceded just one goal, the best defensive record in Serie A. Among Europe's top five leagues, only Arsenal can match that figure. This defensive solidity represents Roma's strongest calling card ahead of a fixture against Inter, whose defence has shown more than a few problems in their opening matches despite the presence of players including Lautaro, Thuram, Esposito and Bonny. Behind the goals stands a goalkeeper who, like Donyell Malen in attack, has become almost routine in his excellence and generates little headlines. The depth available to the head coach reflects what the article describes as "excellent" defending at Lecce and the overall strength of Roma's backline across their opening fixtures.

Roma's defensive department has emerged as one of the strongest in Europe through the opening weeks of the 2026-27 campaign. After finishing last season as Serie A's second-best defence behind Como, the backline under Gian Piero Gasperini has been further reinforced with the arrivals of Leonardo Balerdi and Konstantinos Koulierakis, joining established defenders Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka, Mario Hermoso and Daniele Ghilardi. In this season's opening fixtures, Roma have conceded just one goal—scored by Ederson in the match against Atalanta. Comparing the opening rounds across Europe's five major leagues, Roma's defensive record is matched only by Arsenal, the runners-up in the European championship, who have also conceded a single goal in their first four matches. Freiburg in the Bundesliga has the same record but across three games played, while Real Madrid and Barcelona in La Liga have both conceded four goals and four clubs in Ligue 1 sit at two goals conceded. At shot-on-target metrics, Roma rank second in Serie A, allowing an average of three shots per match—just behind Como's 2.75—while Arsenal lead across Europe with 2.25 per game, according to Sofascore data. Goalkeeper Mile Svilar has provided crucial protection between the posts, making decisive interventions in moments of defensive vulnerability. This strong defensive performance stands in sharp contrast to Inter, Roma's next league opponent, who have already conceded six goals in their opening matches.