Koné knee concern casts doubt on Turin trip as Roma returns to training

Roma drew 1–1 with Fenerbahçe in their Champions League debut at the Chobani Stadyumu, but lost midfielder Manu Koné to injury during the second half. Niccolò Pisilli replaced him on the pitch. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini addressed Koné's departure in his post-match press conference, explaining the nature of the problem. "Koné is out with a physical issue," Gasperini said. "He was missing in the second half, but perhaps we would have suffered anyway. The match became more difficult after the break—we were close to conceding a penalty. It doesn't depend only on Koné, also because Pisilli performed well and has finally returned." Gasperini added that Koné's condition will be evaluated in the coming hours ahead of Monday's fixture against Torino.

Roma drew 1–1 away at Fenerbahce in a performance head coach Gian Piero Gasperini described as generally positive, but the result was overshadowed by a second-half injury to midfielder Manu Koné. Koné was withdrawn shortly after the interval and replaced by Niccolò Pisilli. Gasperini acknowledged the midfielder's absence but noted that Roma's difficulties in the second half were not attributable to the change alone. He said: "Koné is out with a physical problem. He was missing in the second half, but we might have struggled anyway. The match became harder in the second half, and we nearly gave away a penalty. It doesn't depend only on Koné because Pisilli did well and has finally returned." The Roma manager flagged Koné's fitness as a concern for the coming week, with his condition to be assessed ahead of Monday's fixture at Torino.

Gian Piero Gasperini has named his squad for Roma's Champions League return, confirming that Lorenzo Pellegrini will miss the trip to Istanbul through injury. Roma face Fenerbahçe on 10 September at 18:45 in the first matchday of the league phase. Antonio Arena is also unavailable. Ahead of the fixture, Gasperini outlined Roma's approach to Europe's elite competition. "We will encounter top teams in their respective leagues and especially sides with extraordinary players who can change the result even in a balanced match thanks to their individual quality," the coach said. "We need to know this and try to control it, but we also need to be very good at not losing our identity, to have confidence in our means and know that we can also put opponents in difficulty." Defender Mario Hermoso, who impressed in Roma's recent Serie A win against Atalanta, addressed the step up in competition. "To play a great match tomorrow we need to know what the opponent's strongest points are. We have done that work. For us this is a new competition and we need to raise our level compared to Serie A. The best teams play in this cup and these types of matches. You have to have a great season to play them, so we are happy. We have the will to make a great start to the Champions League here in Istanbul." Meanwhile, Fabio Maresca will referee Torino v Roma on Monday at 18:30 in Serie A's fourth round. Maresca will be assisted by Tegoni and Fontani, with Sozza as fourth official; Aureliano and Ghersini will operate VAR. Maresca has refereed Roma 20 times in his career—more than any team except Lazio—with a record of 9 wins, 5 draws and 6 defeats. Most recently he oversaw the May Derby della Capitale won 2–0 by Gasperini's side, goals from Gianluca Mancini.

Roma drew 1–1 with Fenerbahçe in their Champions League debut at the Chobani Stadyumu, but lost midfielder Manu Koné to injury during the second half. Niccolò Pisilli replaced him on the pitch. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini addressed Koné's departure in his post-match press conference, explaining the nature of the problem. "Koné is out with a physical issue," Gasperini said. "He was missing in the second half, but perhaps we would have suffered anyway. The match became more difficult after the break—we were close to conceding a penalty. It doesn't depend only on Koné, also because Pisilli performed well and has finally returned." Gasperini added that Koné's condition will be evaluated in the coming hours ahead of Monday's fixture against Torino.

Gian Piero Gasperini praised Roma's performance in a draw against Fenerbahce, but identified defensive vulnerabilities in the second half as an area requiring urgent attention. The head coach said the team produced a good display in difficult circumstances, playing against opponents who sat deep and looked to break on the counter-attack. Gasperini acknowledged Roma conceded from a poor exit when deployed low on the pitch. "We came out badly for the goal. It happens when we are deep and set. We certainly need to work because we cannot always play high, especially in the Champions League. There was a wrong exit," he said. He was satisfied with the impact of substitutes, singling out Leonardo Balerdi and Niccolò Pisilli for particular praise. Rodrigo Mora, introduced in midfield, struggled to make the anticipated impact despite his pace. Marten de Roon was brought on late to secure the result. When asked about Roma's recurring problem of conceding at the start of the second half, Gasperini said: "Two clues make a proof, but not everything is explainable; sometimes there is chance. From next time we must be careful at the start of the second half."

Roma drew 1–1 away at Fenerbahce in a performance head coach Gian Piero Gasperini described as generally positive, but the result was overshadowed by a second-half injury to midfielder Manu Koné. Koné was withdrawn shortly after the interval and replaced by Niccolò Pisilli. Gasperini acknowledged the midfielder's absence but noted that Roma's difficulties in the second half were not attributable to the change alone. He said: "Koné is out with a physical problem. He was missing in the second half, but we might have struggled anyway. The match became harder in the second half, and we nearly gave away a penalty. It doesn't depend only on Koné because Pisilli did well and has finally returned." The Roma manager flagged Koné's fitness as a concern for the coming week, with his condition to be assessed ahead of Monday's fixture at Torino.