Gittens suffers ankle injury on England U21 duty; Roma monitor situation

Chelsea winger Gittens has suffered an ankle injury during an England Under 21 match against Kazakhstan that threatens to derail Roma's interest in signing him. The incident occurred in the 39th minute, forcing Gittens to leave the pitch on crutches. He has since withdrawn from international duty, and tests are pending to determine the severity of the injury and length of his absence. Roma tracked Gittens throughout the summer transfer window, with the club attempting to bring him to the Stadio Olimpico on loan before the deadline passed. Chelsea blocked any temporary move, but Roma continued monitoring him as a possible reinforce for the January window. At that point, a potential opening existed given that Xabi Alonso has offered Gittens limited first-team minutes in the current season. The ankle injury now threatens to reshape Roma's calculus: the outcome of medical examinations and his recovery timeline will determine whether he remains a target or slips down the club's priorities.

Jamie Gittens suffered an ankle injury during England Under 21's match against Kazakhstan on Saturday, forcing him off the field at the 39-minute mark. The Chelsea forward, followed by Roma during the summer and still on the club's radar for future moves, left the pitch on crutches and will undergo examination. The severity of his injury will determine whether Roma's interest in him carries into the next transfer window. Roma have begun renewal talks with Emanuele Lulli, who impressed early in the season while on duty with Italy Under 21. The club's director and Lulli's agent have opened initial discussions to extend his contract, which runs until June. Both sides are understood to be willing to continue together, with a meeting scheduled at Trigoria in the coming days to advance negotiations. The Italian Football Federation's federal council has approved a change to the winter transfer window dates at the request of Serie A, with backing from Leagues B and Pro. The market will now open on 28 December instead of 1 January, with the closing date remaining Monday 1 February. FIFA approval is still required to make the change official. Lorenzo Pellegrini is using the international break to recover and aims to return for the Como fixture. Should he play, he will reach 350 appearances for Roma, matching Damiano Tommasi and climbing to 12th place in the club's all-time list. Pellegrini turned down a more lucrative offer from Besiktas and is keen to convince Gasperini to give him more playing time, though he currently sits behind Soulé and Mora in the pecking order.

Roma have identified Giorgi Kvernadze of Frosinone as their target to fill the wide-player gap that emerged during the summer transfer window. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini had highlighted the need for an outside option, prompting Roma's sporting director Tony D'Amico to evaluate fifteen different profiles across Europe—ranging from names at Marseille, London and Leipzig to cases including Greenwood, Garnacho and Summerville—before settling on Kvernadze, who plays just ninety kilometres from Trigoria. The 23-year-old Georgian winger, signed by Frosinone eighteen months ago for one million euros and now valued at twenty times that figure, has impressed dramatically this season with five goals and two assists in six matches. He is a right winger who favours starting from the left, combining pace, physicality and a playing style compared to Kvaratskhelia. Kvernadze fits Roma's strategic focus on players aged under 24, in line with the Friedkin Group's ownership parameters. Roma plan to deploy part of their available €25 million as early as January to pre-empt competition from Hull City and Borussia Dortmund, who are already monitoring the situation.