Hermoso shines in midfield as Castro and Koulierakis score in Newport win

Gian Piero Gasperini is set to reshape Roma for tonight's Champions League clash away at Manchester United, with Bryan Cristante potentially moving into the attacking midfield role behind the front line. Il Messaggero's Daniele Aloisi reports that Niccolò Pisilli would take Cristante's place in midfield alongside Marten de Roon. The match marks the halfway point of the Champions League league phase. Cristante is expected to operate in the number ten area, although a start for Rodrigo Mora cannot be ruled out. Donyell Malen and Matías Soulé remain untouchable as the front pair. On the left, Wesley is set to play, while Devyne Rensch is pushing Emanuele Lulli on the right. At the back, Gasperini will rely on his best men, with Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso ready to form the three-man defence. Leonardo Balerdi is at risk after training on Monday with a heavy bandage on his right knee. Gollini is expected in goal, returning to Manchester where he spent time in the youth ranks from 2012 to 2014. Mile Svilar, Manu Koné and Paulo Dybala are once again out. Koné and Dybala are hoping to be available for Saturday's match against Sassuolo, though their involvement is not guaranteed.

Roma are training at Manchester United's historic Cliff training ground on the eve of their trip to face the Red Devils, with Gian Piero Gasperini set to finalise his team selection doubts in the morning session. The session is scheduled for 11am local time at the Cliff. The Cliff is the club's former first-team base, which Manchester United used for years until Sir Alex Ferguson pushed for a move in 2000. Ferguson's reason was a lack of privacy: he felt the facility was too open, with training sessions easily watched by journalists and, above all, by scouts working for rival clubs. He called them "spies" and suggested the club relocate, and it did. Manchester United now train at Carrington, while the Cliff remains in use by the youth teams and the women's side. For one day, the Cliff is also being used by Roma and by their Primavera side, who will face the English club in the Youth League. Ahead of the trip, Roma have already held a rehearsal session the previous day, followed by the morning training on the day of the match.

Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini appears to have settled on most of his starting line-up for tonight's clash at Old Trafford against Manchester United. Gollini is set to start in goal, with Mancini, N'Dicka and Hermoso favoured in defence. In midfield the pair of Cristante and De Roon is confirmed, with Wesley on the left. The right-back berth is wide open, with the newspapers split between Molina, Rensch and Lulli. In the attacking midfield, Pisilli is named by almost all the dailies alongside Soulé, while Malen is expected to lead the line. N'Dicka faces a significant step up in difficulty tonight. The Roma centre-back will have to keep close tabs on Matheus Cunha, Manchester United's principal attacking reference. Reading the play in advance and managing the open space will be decisive, especially when Gasperini's side push up high. N'Dicka, however, has the qualities suited to the duel: strength in physical contests, timing of his interventions and reading of the game. The report is part of a flash round-up of Roma news and was published by La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Gian Piero Gasperini is set to reshape Roma for tonight's Champions League clash away at Manchester United, with Bryan Cristante potentially moving into the attacking midfield role behind the front line. Il Messaggero's Daniele Aloisi reports that Niccolò Pisilli would take Cristante's place in midfield alongside Marten de Roon. The match marks the halfway point of the Champions League league phase. Cristante is expected to operate in the number ten area, although a start for Rodrigo Mora cannot be ruled out. Donyell Malen and Matías Soulé remain untouchable as the front pair. On the left, Wesley is set to play, while Devyne Rensch is pushing Emanuele Lulli on the right. At the back, Gasperini will rely on his best men, with Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso ready to form the three-man defence. Leonardo Balerdi is at risk after training on Monday with a heavy bandage on his right knee. Gollini is expected in goal, returning to Manchester where he spent time in the youth ranks from 2012 to 2014. Mile Svilar, Manu Koné and Paulo Dybala are once again out. Koné and Dybala are hoping to be available for Saturday's match against Sassuolo, though their involvement is not guaranteed.

Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini appears to have settled on most of his starting line-up for tonight's clash at Old Trafford against Manchester United. Gollini is set to start in goal, with Mancini, N'Dicka and Hermoso favoured in defence. In midfield the pair of Cristante and De Roon is confirmed, with Wesley on the left. The right-back berth is wide open, with the newspapers split between Molina, Rensch and Lulli. In the attacking midfield, Pisilli is named by almost all the dailies alongside Soulé, while Malen is expected to lead the line. N'Dicka faces a significant step up in difficulty tonight. The Roma centre-back will have to keep close tabs on Matheus Cunha, Manchester United's principal attacking reference. Reading the play in advance and managing the open space will be decisive, especially when Gasperini's side push up high. N'Dicka, however, has the qualities suited to the duel: strength in physical contests, timing of his interventions and reading of the game. The report is part of a flash round-up of Roma news and was published by La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Gasperini is preparing to take his Roma side to Old Trafford to reverse the history against Manchester United, and the Italian papers have largely agreed on a starting eleven. The coach appears set to field a solid defence with Mancini returning to the starting lineup, while the main doubt concerns the right flank, where the choice is between Lulli and Molina. Rensch could also come into contention for that spot, but he appears the least likely to start from the first minute. In midfield, the papers are split over who will support Soulé behind Malen: Pisilli, Cristante or Mora. Across the line-ups published by the Gazzetta dello Sport, Corriere dello Sport, Tuttosport, Il Messaggero, Corriere della Sera and Il Tempo, Roma are set to line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation with Gollini in goal, Mancini, N'Dicka and Hermoso in defence, Wesley in the midfield and Soulé and Malen attacking. The papers' predicted line-ups differ in only a few places. The Gazzetta dello Sport and Il Messaggero pick Lulli at left-back, while the Corriere dello Sport and Tuttosport go with Molina. The Corriere della Sera and Il Tempo both name Rensch. Il Messaggero also includes de Roon and Pisilli in midfield, with Cristante pushed further forward alongside Soulé, while Tuttosport picks Mora in the number ten role instead of Pisilli.

Roma's loan players had a busy week across the Champions League, the Bundesliga, the German Cup, La Liga, Serie C and the Europa Conference League. Neil El Aynaoui was involved in three matches for RB Leipzig, while Luigi Cherubini was back in the Benevento starting line-up and came close to scoring twice. Robinio Vaz has returned to action after a physical problem he suffered against Fulham, and Mohamed Seck helped Foggia to a win. El Aynaoui, a Moroccan midfielder on a loan deal with a buy option, started Leipzig's Champions League defeat to Real Madrid, a 4-1 loss, and played until the 63rd minute. On Saturday he played the full 90 minutes of a 4-0 win over Elversberg. His most eventful match came on Tuesday against Rot-Weiss Essen in the German Cup last 16. He began on the bench, but came on at half-time with Leipzig trailing 1-0 and reduced to ten men after Seiwald was sent off in the 44th minute. Baumgartner scored twice, in the 78th and 82nd minutes, to complete the comeback and send Leipzig through 2-1. El Aynaoui was booked in the 76th minute and played 45 minutes without a goal or assist. The win came after heavy defeats to Bayern Munich and Real Madrid. Cherubini, a winger born in 2004, returned to the starting line-up on Saturday in a 3-0 win at Arezzo. He played 74 minutes and twice came close to scoring, first with a spectacular scissor kick that was saved by goalkeeper Nunziante, then with a shot that hit the post. He started again on Tuesday in a 1-1 home draw with Catanzaro. He won the decisive penalty early in the second half, which Salvemini converted in the 51st minute after Candela fouled him, a decision confirmed by VAR. He was substituted for Saio in the 86th minute. Buso equalised for Catanzaro in added time, in the 92nd minute. Cherubini did not score or assist, but BeneventoNews24 and CalcioBenevento both gave him a 6.5. Mattia Mannini, a midfielder born in 2006, was an unused substitute for both matches, with Floro Flores opting for other players during the second-half changes. Mannini had played for Italy's Under-20 side during the previous international break. Mohamed Seck started at centre-back in Auteri's three-man defence as Foggia beat Cavese 1-0 at the Zaccheria, ending two straight defeats to Potenza and Giugliano. Foggiacalciomania gave him a 6 for a solid performance, noting his willingness to move forward from the defensive line. Goalkeeper Saro saved a penalty from Orlando, and Ravasio scored the winner in the 87th minute. Federico Nardin, a defender born in 2007, started for Pescara in a 2-1 win at Perugia, playing all 90 minutes without a booking. Merola scored twice for Pescara, first from open play and then from a penalty, after Carriero had given Perugia a lead inside the first minute. Radoslaw Zelezny, the Polish goalkeeper for Perugia, played the full match but conceded both Pescara goals, with Merola scoring in the 47th and 51st minutes. Marash Kumbulla, an Albanian defender on loan with a buy option, started for Rayo Vallecano in a 3-2 extra-time win over Recreativo Huelva in the first round of the Copa del Rey. He played 80 minutes after being on the bench for the 3-0 home defeat to Elche. Alemão scored Rayo's equaliser from the penalty spot and then the winner in extra time, with De Frutos also scoring. Anass Salah-Eddine, a Moroccan left-back playing for Panathinaikos, was not used in the 5-1 Conference League win over Kairat Almaty in Kazakhstan on Thursday. He started on Sunday in a 1-0 league win at Volos.

Roma's first team is running smoothly under Gian Piero Gasperini, with well-targeted signings, a recognisable style and young players developing well. The problem lies with the players out on loan in Serie A and abroad, who have struggled to establish themselves. Some were signed under the previous management of Massara, others under Ghisolfi, and some have been drifting between clubs since the Mourinho era. Many of them, if not all, could return to the club in June without having been redeemed, which the article calls a clear loss. Goalkeeper Zelezny is on loan at Serie C side Perugia. He has started every match, but his figures are less impressive: 17 goals conceded in 11 games for a side that was expected to be among the leaders. In defence, Angelino, Ziolkowski and Kumbulla are out on loan. Angelino, who has recently suffered serious health problems, returned to Deportivo La Coruña. He has made only one start, against Sevilla, and was sent off in the 59th minute. Kumbulla has not played a minute for Rayo Vallecano in La Liga and has made just one appearance in the Copa del Rey. Ziolkowski has one appearance on record, due to a serious plantar fascia injury, and is expected back in November. In midfield, El Aynaoui is a regular starter for Leipzig, but his performances have been unexceptional, with a single assist. Leipzig are fifth in the Bundesliga and 29th in the Champions League. Setting aside Romano and Baldanzi, who both have an obligation to buy, Cherubini has made 7 appearances and scored one goal for Benevento. Salah Eddine, who moved to Panathinaikos in September, has four appearances in total, and it is still too early to judge him. Robinio Vaz's start at Hull City has been disappointing: no starts, only a few minutes late in matches, and no goals. The Frenchman cost 25 million in January and is not finding a place in the side as he did under Gasperini. Mannini, who has also moved to Benevento, has no starts. Dovbyk risks returning as early as January. Palladino never picks him, preferring Osteegard in the unusual role of centre-forward given Piccoli's absence. The Ukrainian has scored one goal in four matches, all under Tedesco while he was still in charge at Bologna.

Neil El Aynaoui has impressed at RB Leipzig, and a permanent move to the German club in June is looking increasingly likely. The midfielder had asked to leave Roma towards the end of the summer transfer window, having not fully convinced Gasperini to give him a leading role at the club. Player and coach spoke calmly with each other and found a solution in the final week of the window, which allowed the Moroccan to win a place in the Leipzig starting line-up. He has made 9 appearances this season, with one assist and three consecutive starts in the Champions League. According to the latest information from Germany, Leipzig are satisfied with the Moroccan's performances, and the obligation to buy is looking more and more probable in June. Leipzig have already paid 3 million plus 1 million in bonuses for his loan. They hold an option to buy for 25 million plus 3 million, up to a maximum of 28 million. Roma could therefore make a useful profit on a sale in June. The club also holds a 20% sell-on clause, which it could collect in the future should Leipzig increase his value further.

Gian Piero Gasperini has warned Roma not to be distracted ahead of their trip to face Manchester United, describing the Premier League side as strong despite a difficult run of results. Speaking at his pre-match press conference on the eve of the fixture, the Roma coach said: "Manchester in the league is going through a moment of difficulty in results, but we cannot be distracted. In any case, it is a strong team, there are players of absolute value, it is a warm and difficult environment. We are preparing as if we were facing the best Manchester." Asked what his side still lacks, Gasperini said: "Perfection does not exist for the very big teams, and not for us either. Our quality is that we always try to improve. We know our characteristics, but we know that in some situations we can do better." On the subject of dreams, he added: "Everyone has the right to dream. I try to make dreams achievable in the short term, starting from tomorrow, in a fantastic stadium famous all over the world. I hope it is achievable." Gasperini outlined the immediate problems. "If you are missing Pellegrini, Dybala and Koné in the same areas, we try to adapt a little at certain moments. We have the alternative of Castro with Malen, and in midfield we are counted. I hope it is a passing moment. We have played these seven matches on a knife's edge, but we have always had prepared players who have recovered quickly." On Mora, he said: "He is well. The 17 who are here are all ready. After the break we hope to get everyone back. It is difficult this week." On defensive options, Gasperini praised Wesley alongside Lulli, saying: "In that area Wesley is also doing very well alongside Lulli. Molina needed to play, and Rensch has also done very well. For them it is demanding, they cover a lot of ground with acceleration and speed." Asked about Manchester United's struggles under Carrick and how a big club can turn things around, Gasperini said: "Every situation is different. I do not know the Manchester situation precisely, but they have strong players. You can suffer for a certain period, but then you can restart, hopefully from the day after tomorrow. At Inter I was really there too briefly, three matches, so I would not make that comparison." On whether Italian football has closed the gap with England on a technical and tactical level, he said: "We will have to see from the results. The last time it went better, the day before not well for the Italian clubs. Italian football is expressing a good quality of play, with many teams giving satisfaction to their fans and many good matches." Gasperini admitted United's current difficulties make them dangerous: "We hope so, but it is always a big unknown. They are teams made up of very strong players who, especially in the league, have had difficulties. But you can always expect reactions and the ability to find the path they have not found until now. We hope for the opposite and to accentuate their difficulties." On his team selection, he said: "Let's see. We play so intensely between one match and the next that we have to wait until the last day to decide." Asked about Svilar, Koné and Dybala, he added: "We are travelling one step at a time. For now we play this match, then on Wednesday we return to Rome and we will assess all three to see whether it is possible to recover them for Sassuolo or after the break."

Gian Piero Gasperini has told reporters that Roma must not be distracted by Manchester United's struggles as the Giallorossi prepare for Wednesday's Champions League League Phase fourth-matchday fixture at Old Trafford, which kicks off at 21:00. Roma arrive in Manchester after a commanding 5-2 Serie A win over Udinese, and the match comes at the end of a particularly demanding run of fixtures. The Giallorossi.net editorial team is covering the head coach's press conference live from Manchester, which begins at 18:20 Italian time. Gasperini acknowledged that United are going through a difficult period in the league, but he stressed that his side cannot afford to take their opponents lightly. "Manchester is in a difficult moment in their results, but we cannot be distracted. However, it is a strong team, there are players of absolute quality, it is a warm and difficult environment. We are preparing as if we were facing the best Manchester." On whether Roma are yet perfect, Gasperini said: "Perfection does not exist for the very great teams, nor for us. Our quality is that we always try to improve ourselves. We know our characteristics, but we know that in some situations we can do better." Asked about the dream of playing at Old Trafford, the so-called Theatre of Dreams, he said: "Everyone has the right to dream. I try to make dreams that are achievable in the short term, starting from tomorrow, in a fantastic stadium famous all over the world. I hope it is achievable." On injuries, Gasperini admitted the squad is stretched. "If you are missing Pellegrini, Dybala and Koné in the same areas, we try to adapt a little at certain moments. We have the alternative of Castro with Malen, and in midfield we are counted. I hope it is a passing moment. We have played these seven matches on a knife edge. But we have always had prepared players who have recovered quickly. Mora? He is well, the 17 we have are all ready. After the break we hope to have everyone back. Difficult this week." On defensive options, he praised Lulli and Wesley. "In that area, Wesley is also doing very well alongside Lulli. Molina needed to play, and Rensch has also done very well. For them it is demanding, they cover a lot of ground with acceleration and speed." Gasperini was also asked about his own past in England and the contrast with Michael Carrick's current difficulties at United. "Every situation is different. I do not know the Manchester situation precisely, but they have strong players. You can suffer for a certain period, but then you can restart, hopefully from the day after tomorrow. I was at Inter for really too short a time, three matches, so I would not make that comparison." He was further asked whether Italian football has closed the gap with England on the pitch. "We will have to see from the results. The last time it went better, the previous day not well for the Italian sides. The Italian championship is expressing a good quality of play, with many teams giving their fans satisfaction and many good matches." On whether United's current form makes this the right moment to face them, Gasperini replied: "We hope so, but it is always a great unknown. They are teams made up of very strong players, who in the league in particular have had difficulties. But you can always expect reactions and the capacity to find the path they have not found until now. We hope the opposite, and to accentuate their difficulties." Asked whether Mora or three midfielders will start, he said: "We will see. We play so intensely between one match and the next that we have to wait until the last day to decide." Finally, on Svilar, Koné and Dybala, Gasperini said: "We are travelling one step at a time. For now we play this match, then on Wednesday we return to Rome and we will assess all three to see whether it is possible to recover them against Sassuolo or after the break."

Roma travel to Manchester United tomorrow at 21:00 for matchday four of the Champions League league phase, with Gian Piero Gasperini's side arriving in the best form of the season after a five-goal win over Udinese. Svilar, Koné and Dybala will all miss the fixture. Gasperini was speaking at his pre-match press conference, where he also addressed the situation at Old Trafford. Asked what to expect, he said: "Manchester in the league is going through a difficult moment in their results, but we cannot be distracted. In any case it is a strong team, there are players of absolute value, it is a warm and difficult environment. We are preparing as if we were facing the best Manchester." On the question of perfection, he replied: "Perfection does not exist for the very big teams, and not for us either. Our quality is that we always try to improve, we know our characteristics but we know that in some situations we can do better." Asked about his dream at Old Trafford, the "theatre of dreams", he said: "Everyone has the right to dream. I try to make dreams that are achievable in the short term, starting from tomorrow, in a fantastic stadium famous all over the world. I hope it is achievable." On the main difficulties, he said: "If you are missing Pellegrini, Dybala and Koné in the same departments, we try to adapt a little at certain moments. We have the alternative of Castro with Malen, in midfield we are short. I hope it is a moment of transition. We have played these seven matches on a knife's edge. But we have always had prepared players who have recovered quickly. Mora? He is well, the 17 who are here are all ready. After the break we hope to get everyone back. It is difficult this week." Gasperini praised Lulli's management of the defence, adding: "In that department Wesley is also doing very well alongside Lulli. Molina needed to play and Rensch has also done very well. For them it is demanding, they cover a lot of ground with acceleration and speed." He also acknowledged his own reputation in England and his time at Inter, saying: "Every situation is different. I do not know the Manchester situation precisely, but they have strong players. You can suffer for a period, but then you can restart, hopefully from the day after tomorrow. At Inter I was really there far too little, three matches, so I would not make that comparison." Speaking to Sky, Gasperini said: "We will have to see from the results. The last time it went better, the previous day not well for the Italian clubs. The Italian championship is expressing a good quality of play, with many teams giving satisfaction to their fans and many good matches." On Manchester United's struggles, he said: "We hope so, but it is always a big unknown. They are teams made up of very strong players, who in the league especially have had difficulties. But you can always expect reactions and the ability to find that road they have not found so far. We hope the opposite and to accentuate their difficulties." On whether Mora or three midfielders will start, Gasperini said: "We'll see. We play in such a pressing way between one match and the next that we have to wait until the last day to decide." On Svilar, Koné and Dybala, he added: "We are travelling one step at a time. For now we play this match, then on Wednesday we return to Rome and we will assess all three to see whether it is possible to recover them for Sassuolo or after the break."