Koné suffers left thigh injury in Roma win; fitness to be assessed ahead of Lecce fixture

Devyne Rensch will miss Roma's opening Serie A match of the 2026–27 season against Fiorentina at Stadio Olimpico on 24 August, ruled out by a left hamstring strain. The Dutch fullback is nonetheless present at the ground to watch the fixture in person. Rensch expressed his disappointment via Instagram, saying: "Sad not to be able to be present at the start of the season. Always here supporting. Come on Roma always!" His absence leaves Gasperini to adjust his defensive lineup for the first matchday encounter.

Roma's injury crisis at full-back deepened on 24 August as Nahuel Molina was hit by muscular fatigue ahead of the season's opening fixture against Fiorentina, threatening to leave Gian Piero Gasperini severely short of options on the flanks. Devyne Rensch is already sidelined by a left hamstring strain, and Molina's discomfort puts the Argentine winger's availability from the start in serious doubt. The medical staff will monitor Molina's condition over the coming hours to determine whether the former Atlético Madrid player can feature. Should Molina fail to recover, Gasperini faces a defensive crisis on the right flank with few alternatives available. In that scenario, the coach is prepared to hand young Lulli his Serie A debut from the opening kickoff. Lulli would step straight into a starting role amid the injury emergency, shouldering the responsibility of covering the right side in what would represent his first senior league appearance.

Devyne Rensch has been withdrawn from Roma's squad for tonight's Serie A opener against Fiorentina at the Stadio Olimpico after suffering a left flexor muscle strain in training at Trigoria. His condition will be assessed in the coming hours. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has otherwise named a full contingent, including new arrivals Konstantinos Koulierakis, Nahuel Molina, Rodrigo Mora and Santiago Castro. Emanuele Lulli has also been included after impressing in pre-season and joining the first-team group. Roma will begin their campaign with 23 players available, though the loss of Rensch leaves Gasperini with fewer options on the wing. The squad named for the match comprises: Svilar, De Marzi and Gollini in goal; Koulierakis, N'Dicka, Molina, Hermoso, Mancini, Ziolkowski, Wesley, Lulli and Ghilardi in defence; Cristante, El Aynaoui, Koné, Pisilli and Mora in midfield; and Castro, Malen, Soulé, Dybala and Vaz in attack.

Roma opened their 2026–27 season with a commanding 4–0 victory over Fiorentina at the Stadio Olimpico, with Donyell Malen scoring a hat-trick and setting up further chances in a performance that announced the club's attacking potency. Paulo Dybala provided three assists, combining with Malen in what the match report describes as a partnership functioning "better than Goku and Vegeta". Niccolò Pisilli added the fourth goal. Rodrigo Mora made his debut and was given a standing ovation before kick-off, Gasperini launching him into the starting XI in a statement of intent that saw all new arrivals handed match time in a fixture played at high tempo with minimal defensive strain on Mile Svilar. The victory delivered immediate validation of Roma's summer recruitment. Dybala's fitness and form were on full display—the 8/10 rating in the match assessment noted he "wanted to be Roma's first goalscorer of the season" and that his connection with Malen was devastating when he was operating at this level. Malen's 8.5/10 reflected his ruthlessness, the report highlighting both a gift from Dybala for his opening goal and a second that was "pure Malen: grit, speed and killer instinct". Wesley, making his first competitive appearance, showed his ankle was holding up, though "not yet in dazzling form". Mora's brief introduction before his substitution at 53 minutes drew praise for a "curling shot that forced De Gea to work overtime", demonstrating the quality Villas-Boas had been reluctant to release. Gasperini's tactical blueprint was laid bare from the opening whistle. The boss "called the press, called for few touches" and had "already shifted into fifth gear" by the first match of the campaign, the report notes. In midfield, Bryan Cristante covered the most ground—averaging 10.2 km as he had done last season—while Manu Koné arrived dangerously on percussive runs, though Gasperini "threw him a look" when he forced an unnecessary acceleration on the 3–0 goal. The defence was untroubled; Evan N'Dicka, making an early impact, was "providential in closing on Pellegrino" within three minutes of his entry, and Gianluca Mancini "strapped the spaces by right" from the Fiorentina midfield. Matías Soulé came on at 53 minutes and "got tangled on the shot" despite doing everything else correctly in the box before playing a role in the fourth. Gasperini made five substitutions: Konstantinos Koulierakis replaced Mario Hermoso at 67 minutes, Santiago Castro came on for Malen at the same interval, Neil El Aynaoui entered for Koné at 78, and Pisilli replaced Dybala at 78, scoring shortly after "with a bit of fortune following a good flick".

Roma swept Fiorentina 4–0 in their Serie A opener at the Stadio Olimpico on 24 August, with Donyell Malen scoring a hat-trick and Niccolò Pisilli adding the fourth. The rout marked a confident start under Gian Piero Gasperini, who fielded Lulli and Rodrigo Mora from the first minute in his opening fixture. Paulo Dybala was the architects of Roma's dominance, setting up Malen's opening goal and then providing assists for each of the winger's three strikes. Dybala impressed with his physical condition and range of play, though the assessments noted he still needs to sharpen his finishing in the box. Malen's clinical display capped a straightforward afternoon in the capital — he claimed the matchball immediately after the final whistle. Gasperini's side showed hunger and cohesion from the outset, with Bryan Cristante and Manu Koné commanding the midfield. Cristante dominated the centre with relentless ball-winning and nearly unbeatable physicality in every challenge. Koné controlled proceedings in his familiar manner and impressed in both distribution and winning possession. The defence stood firm throughout. Evan N'Dicka engaged in a sustained duel with Fiorentina's Pellegrino, ultimately neutralising the threat without undue difficulty. Mario Hermoso played through early imprecision before settling into a battling rhythm, delivering a fine long ball for Dybala's assist on the second goal. Lulli made a strong debut, playing with personality and composure. Mile Svilar made few saves but was alert when Kean entered in the second half. Gasperini rotated from the 79th minute: Pisilli replaced Dybala to immediate effect, scoring and celebrating in front of the Curva Sud. Matías Soulé came on for Mora at the 53rd minute and struck the frame of the goal. Neil El Aynaoui entered the midfield in place of Koné as Roma sealed their opening victory.

Roma begin the 2026-27 Serie A season at home to Fiorentina, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini naming Rodrigo Mora in the attacking midfield role behind Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen. Matías Soulé drops to the bench. Lulli makes his competitive debut on the right flank in place of Nahuel Molina, who is not at full fitness; Wesley operates on the left. The defence comprises Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka, and Mario Hermoso, with Mile Svilar in goal. Gasperini's 3-4-1-2 formation pairs Bryan Cristante and Manu Koné in midfield. Fiorentina, managed by Grosso, line up in a 4-3-2-1 with David De Gea in goal and Lautaro Pellegrino as their striker. Roma's substitutes bench includes De Marzi, Koulierakis, Ghilardi, Ziółkowski, El Aynaoui, Pisilli, Vaz, Castro, and Soulé.

Donyell Malen scored a hat-trick as AS Roma won their Serie A opener against Fiorentina on Monday night—a historic first for the club to begin their league campaign on a Monday. Gian Piero Gasperini, managing Roma, marked the start of his twentieth season in Serie A with a managerial position, an achievement reached previously only by Carlo Mazzone (28 seasons), Nereo Rocco (24), Nils Liedholm (23), Giovanni Trapattoni (23), and Luigi Radice (20). Bryan Cristante delivered a near-perfect midfield performance, Wesley showed his customary commitment on the flanks, and Paulo Dybala appeared in scintillating form, reaching his 100th Serie A appearance for Roma. Dybala extended his run to four consecutive league matches with a decisive contribution, amassing 5 assists during that spell. Malen dominated the match with five shots—more than any player from either side—and claimed top spot in Serie A's scoring chart. His record is striking: 17 goals in 19 Serie A appearances, surpassing Gabriel Omar Batistuta's previous Roma record of 15 goals in the first 20 games of the three-points-for-a-win era. The victory extended Roma's winning streak to six consecutive Serie A matches, all decided by at least two goals, with five clean sheets during that run. The last longer winning streak came in February–March 2025 under Claudio Ranieri, when Roma won seven in a row. Roma's recent record in season openers is formidable: in their last 15 opening-day fixtures, they have lost just once (a 3–0 away to Verona in 2020), winning 8 and drawing 5. Against Fiorentina specifically, Roma have now won three times at the start of seasons, including victories in 2014 and 2021. On 4 May this year, Roma had defeated Fiorentina by four goals—the first such margin in Serie A since Luciano Spalletti's 4–0 in 2017. With this latest win, Roma stretched their run of consecutive Serie A matches with a goal to 16. The squad's average age sits at approximately 24.8 years against a Serie A average of 25.6, making Roma the subject of the most significant youth restructuring among Italy's big clubs—roughly three years younger than Inter and Napoli, and fresher than Milan and Lazio. The signing of Oosterwolde (24) is imminent and will reinforce this trend. Looking at potential starters—Svilar, Wesley, Rensch, Koulierakis, Koné, Pisilli, Soulé, Castro, and Mora—Gasperini may manage one of the youngest Roma squads of the past decade. The youth project was on full display against Fiorentina. Eighteen-year-old Rodrigo Mora, the main youth prospect in the starting eleven, had a shot on target at the 19th minute. Niccolò Pisilli (born 2004) came off the bench to score the fourth goal. The real surprise was the selection of 19-year-old Emanuele Lulli (born 2007), who impressed in Roma's Primavera setup and was aggregated to the first team for the summer retreat. He provided an assist for Paulo Dybala in the friendly against Cardiff before starting in place of Nahuel Molina. The sight of two players from the 2006–2007 generations operating with composure on opening night underscores a club intent on winning while building for the future, guided by Gasperini's experience and the hunger of its young talents.

Devyne Rensch will miss Roma's opening Serie A match of the 2026–27 season against Fiorentina at Stadio Olimpico on 24 August, ruled out by a left hamstring strain. The Dutch fullback is nonetheless present at the ground to watch the fixture in person. Rensch expressed his disappointment via Instagram, saying: "Sad not to be able to be present at the start of the season. Always here supporting. Come on Roma always!" His absence leaves Gasperini to adjust his defensive lineup for the first matchday encounter.

Emanuele Lulli will make his Serie A debut as a starter in Roma's season opener against Fiorentina on 24 August. The 19-year-old right-back, aggregated to the first team this summer, has earned the nod from head coach Gian Piero Gasperini after impressing throughout pre-season and with Devyne Rensch unavailable and Nahuel Molina not fully fit. Lulli's rise through Roma's academy has been marked by consistent progress and silverware. He won the Scudetto with the Under-16s in 2023 and produced strong showings for the Under-18s, recording 26 appearances, 2 goals and 3 assists. His breakthrough came in the Primavera, where under coach Guidi he established himself as the regular right-sided defender. Last season in the Primavera he was among the best in his position across Italy, contributing 2 goals and 8 assists in the league. He is already involved with Italy's youth national teams. During the pre-season campaign, Gasperini gradually increased his minutes: 18 minutes against Cardiff, 20 against Newport, and 12 against Brighton. On 15 August, in the final summer friendly against Borussia Dortmund, Lulli started and played 76 minutes. Described as intelligent, precise and possessing excellent athleticism, the teenager began his academy journey at Palestrina, then spent five years at Tor Tre Teste before joining Roma's Trigoria academy, progressing through the youth ranks from Under-14 level.

Gian Piero Gasperini praised Roma's mentality and attacking prowess after a 4-0 victory over Fiorentina on 24 August, singling out Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen as world-class talent and calling for further recruitment to strengthen the squad for a demanding fixture schedule. Speaking to DAZN, Gasperini said: "The mentality of this group. These boys have recommenced as it was last season. We carry more knowledge. Their attitude in the match and in training is extraordinary. There are players who have done everything to play at Roma or remain: Dybala, Pellegrini, also Mora with his agent. They feel the beauty of this environment." Gasperini highlighted Dybala's physical condition at 32 years old as crucial to the club's ambitions. "Absolutely yes. He is a boy who at 32 is in the fullness of maturity. He may have less speed, but not much, and less force in the shot. He is among the very first in our league, if not the first." He noted that Dybala suffered misfortune last season with injuries from a penalty kick and a free kick that cost him a meniscus, but has made an "absolute level" preparation and is now more resilient. Gasperini withdrew him during the match because other important players were available, "but he can play even extra time." On the Dybala-Malen partnership, Gasperini declared: "They are of European level, therefore World level. Dybala has always been so, he only had too many injuries. This one is a beast: anything but silk muscles as someone said. He can even play extra time. Malen is extraordinary, but it is not by chance: he feels appreciated and strong, he is a leader on the pitch and can grow further still." Gasperini stressed that Roma's recruitment remains incomplete despite the convincing display. "We are not done. If you look at the calendar after the international break there is something to shudder at. It is absolutely necessary to have some numbers more, not too many, to face the season with the league, Champions League and Coppa Italia. With this risk we know there is the risk of losing players in the same period." He praised recent arrivals Konstantinos Koulierakis, Nahuel Molina, Santiago Castro, and Rodrigo Mora for fitting into the team's structure, noting that the group has a foundation built over the past year and new arrivals are functional. He also commended the new Serie A rule extending effective playing time, saying: "Beautiful, fantastic. I like it very much. The public is advantaged this way: before it saw matches of deadly boredom, with the goalkeeper touching more balls than everyone else. These are excellent rules: no one now stays on the ground more. They were thought out very well, the public wants to see play and not waste time."

Donyell Malen and Paulo Dybala spoke to DAZN after Roma's latest fixture, with the pair highlighting their early understanding on the pitch. In seven matches together, Malen has scored six goals and Dybala has provided six assists. When asked about reports that Gasperini said he returned sad from the World Cup, Malen responded: "I'm happy to be back, what's done is done. Now we've started again and I felt the energy of the stadium." Asked about matching his tally of 14 goals in half a season last year, Malen said: "I don't want to give numbers. I have to create goal-scoring chances, then we'll see." Dybala offered effusive praise for his young teammate. "We're facing an extraordinary talent," Dybala told DAZN. "At 19 he's already completed two campaigns, winning as well. Two years ago he scored 10 goals. He's a boy in evolution, also in the personality with which he played tonight. He's had a bit of physical decline too, which is normal. Every time he touches the ball something beautiful happens. He's resilient, he has elite athletic values. He can play on the right and left. He has football, real talent. There's work to do with him too, clearly—it's been a week he's been here. He'll give us great satisfaction." On the group's mentality, Dybala said: "The attitude of these boys is extraordinary. They've started again as they did last season. We carry more knowledge with us. Their attitude in matches and training is extraordinary. There are players who've done everything to play for Roma or stay: Dybala, Pellegrini, also Mora with his agent. They feel the beauty of this environment." Gasperini stressed Dybala's physical condition is key, noting: "At 32 he's in the fullness of maturity. He may have less speed, not much, and less shooting power. He's among the very first in our league, if not the first. Last year he was very unlucky. He had an injury kicking a penalty and one on a free kick. It cost him a meniscus, the penalty. But he's done absolute-level preparation. He's not made of silk, he's increasingly resilient. I took him off because we have other important players but he can play extra time too." Gasperini acknowledged Roma's squad remains incomplete despite the strong performance. "We've put the right players in the right places this year, like Koulierakis and Molina, who has an important past, Castro, Mora. But we haven't completed," he said. "If you look at the calendar after the international break there's reason to shiver. It's absolutely necessary to have some additional numbers, not too many, to face the season with the league, Champions and Coppa Italia. Knowing this risk, we know there's the risk of losing players in the same period."

Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini praised Rodrigo Mora as a talent of exceptional potential following Roma's first-day Serie A match against Fiorentina. The 19-year-old, who arrived from Porto after winning the Scudetto, showed personality and physicality in his appearance, entering the squad only a week before the fixture. Gasperini said: "We are in front of an extraordinary talent. He is 19 years old and has already won the Scudetto with Porto. He certainly has room for evolution but he has personality and showed it tonight. Every time he touches the ball something beautiful happens. For the characteristics he has he is resilient and has athletic values at a high level. A versatile player who can play anywhere across the front and has football as a talent. There is work to do on all aspects, he has been here a week but will give us great satisfaction." Gasperini centred his post-match assessment on the squad's mentality and commitment. He highlighted the continuity from last season, noting that players including Paulo Dybala, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Bryan Cristante and Mario Hermoso had driven to remain at Roma, while new arrivals including Mora and others "did everything to come to Roma". The coach stressed the strength of the environment: "I feel strongly the desire and the beauty of this setting, where they want to express themselves." On Dybala's form at 32 years old, Gasperini was emphatic: "Absolutely yes, he is a boy who at 32 is in the full maturity both physical and technical. He may have a bit less speed but not that much less. He has a bit less power in his shot, but even today he is among the very first in our championship, if not the first. He is well, he plays. Last year he was very unfortunate, he had two injuries one kicking a penalty and one a free kick. This time he did a preparation as perhaps he had never done in recent years, proof that he is increasingly resilient. At the end I took him off but he can play even extra time and is always one of the freshest." On the squad more broadly, Gasperini noted that new signings including Konstantinos Koulierakis, Nahuel Molina, Santiago Castro and Mora were positioned correctly: "We have not yet completed, rather numerically we need to play three competitions. If you look at the calendar after the break there is reason to shudder, so we necessarily need to have some extra numbers to tackle the season." Gasperini acknowledged Roma's tactical flexibility and praised Donyell Malen as a world-class operator who feels valued in the environment and is "a leader on the pitch". He added that Manu Koné, who featured in the Fiorentina match, had been pushed slightly given his recent return from World Cup duty and is recovering his best condition. On the increased effective playing time implemented in the fixture, Gasperini supported the new rule: "It benefits the public, who no longer has to watch the goalkeeper wasting time holding the ball. Now nobody makes a scene anymore. These are very well thought-out rules: people want to see the game, not players wasting time."