Koné starts for France in 4-1 rout of Belgium; focus now turns to Como

Bryan Cristante, Roma's captain and midfielder, has issued a rallying cry for the squad to match last season's performance and build on it. Speaking on 6 October, Cristante acknowledged a knee complaint affecting him but expressed hope to return soon. "I hope to come back as soon as possible," he said. The midfielder also expressed emotion at the prospect of José Mourinho's return, saying: "How wonderful to embrace Mourinho again."

Rodrigo Mora was named in the Portugal Under-21 starting XI for their UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifier against the Czech Republic on 6 October. The match kicked off at 18:30. Portugal have already secured qualification for the next European Under-21 Championship following their victory over Gibraltar. They lead Group 2 by four points ahead of the Czech Republic, whom they faced on the day. Mora's appearance came during the international break, with several Roma players involved in their respective national team fixtures during this window.

Napoli will be without Antonio Vergara for their Serie A trip to Roma on Saturday 24 October, kickoff 18:00. Vergara sustained a mid-grade calf strain in Italy's Nations League match against Turkey on 5 October and faces a recovery period of 3–4 weeks. Favasuli is also unavailable after sustaining a second-degree femoral rectus injury in an Under 21 fixture in recent days, and will return after the November international break. Defender Buongiorno, the club's long-term absentee, is not expected back until January 2027. Manager Massimiliano Allegri will be able to call on Meret, Spinazzola, Marianucci, Giovane, Alisson Santos and Anguissa for the eighth-round fixture against Gasperini's side. However, the availability of two key midfielders remains uncertain. McTominay is due to receive medical clearance on 7 October following ablation for a benign cardiac arrhythmia, while Oliveira is sidelined with a strain to his right adductor muscle and is expected to be out for between two weeks and a month.