Koné knee concern worries Gasperini after early exit in Istanbul

Inter will have Federico Dimarco available for their match against Roma on Saturday, barring any setback. The Italian defender is recovering from an injury that forced him to miss Inter's Champions League trip to Real Madrid and trained partially with the squad this morning. He could also be included in Inter's lineup for their Monday fixture at Udine. Djed Spence, by contrast, remains unavailable — he is still training separately and is unlikely to feature against Roma. Roma travel to face Torino on Monday before hosting Inter on Saturday, two matches in five days that will provide early indicators of the teams' title ambitions. After three matches, Roma sit top of Serie A on a perfect record, level with Lazio and Inter, the defending Italian champions. Inter boss Chivu will have Dimarco in contention for the big match, but Spence's absence will limit his options in defence.

Inter expect to have Federico Dimarco available for their top-of-the-table clash with Roma on 19 September, though the left-back will miss their trip to Udinese this weekend. Dimarco completed half of Inter's training session today and is on course to be fit for the visit to Friuli, positioning him at full availability for the fixture at the Olimpico in eight days' time. Roma face Torino away on Monday at 18:30 before hosting Inter in what Inter manager Chivu is treating as a crucial contest. The meeting carries significant implications for both sides' title credentials, with squad fitness set to be a key factor. Djed Spence's situation is bleaker. According to Sky Sport, the English defender will be unavailable for Inter's Udinese match and is very likely to miss the Roma encounter as well.

Manu Koné's early second-half substitution yesterday sparked concern over his fitness, but a medical check-up this morning has allayed fears. The midfielder had requested to come off due to knee discomfort, prompting head coach Gasperini to admit that while the staff had not been greatly alarmed, the injury needed monitoring. Koné underwent a control examination this morning that revealed no significant problems, meaning an instrumental scan was not necessary. He will be assessed day by day to determine whether he can recover in time for the Torino fixture, though his availability for that match remains in doubt. If he is unavailable, Niccolò Pisilli stands ready to deputise, having encountered some difficulties against Fenerbahçe yesterday.