Lulli presses Molina, Mora edges Soulé: De Roon set for midfield mastery in Como clash

Marten De Roon will make his Roma debut as a starter in Sunday's away fixture at Como, taking over from the injured Bryan Cristante in midfield. The experienced Dutch midfielder, signed by Gian Piero Gasperini, carries responsibility for delivering quality, balance and experience in a high-stakes match that demands strong character—attributes the Roma boss knows well from De Roon's time at Atalanta. The international break proved crucial for De Roon's preparation. Without commitments to his national team, he trained continuously at Trigoria under the direction of Gasperini's long-time assistants Borelli and Boccolini, following an individual programme split between field and gym work to regain his sharpness. Alongside the manager, vice-coach Gritti and Fumagalli, De Roon studied tactical scenarios to arrive ready to step in from the first minute. Gasperini plans to build the rest of his formation on familiar foundations. The defensive line will feature Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso, with Wesley and Nahuel Molina operating on the flanks. Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen will lead the attack at the Stadio Sinigaglia. The sole significant question remains the attacking midfield role, where a close contest between Rodrigo Mora and captain Lorenzo Pellegrini remains unresolved. Pellegrini has used the two-week break to recover full fitness and is a strong candidate for a starting place. Gasperini will make his final decision only in the closing hours of training, selecting whoever best suits the role of unlocking the front pair and bridging the midfield and attack.

Roma trained on Wednesday afternoon as Gasperini's squad prepared for Sunday's midday kickoff at Como. The coach was reunited with Argentine trio Matías Soulé, Leonardo Balerdi and Santiago Castro, who returned to Italy on Tuesday morning after international duty. The session included running, small-sided matches and drills in rainy conditions as the squad readies itself for a demanding October fixture list starting with the Sinigaglia away trip. Gasperini will hold his pre-match press conference on Thursday, with Real Madrid's visit to the Olimpico following on Wednesday as the next major challenge. Away from the pitch, the Friedkin Group has announced the sale of Everton, a decision that has sparked optimism among sections of Roma's support who have long urged the ownership to concentrate fully on the Serie A club. The move has prompted contrasting reactions, with English Everton supporters responding differently to the announcement.

Roma held a training session at the Fulvio Bernardini centre on the afternoon of 8 October as preparation ramped up ahead of Sunday's Serie A fixture at Como, which kicks off at 12:30. The session, conducted in heavy rain but with a relaxed atmosphere mixing athletic work, running and tactical drills, saw the final reunion of the South American contingent with the rest of the squad. Matías Soulé, Leonardo Balerdi and Santiago Castro, who returned to Italy on the morning of 8 October, completed the entire session and put themselves at the disposal of the coaching staff. CEO John Galantic attended the training to show the board's proximity during this phase of preparation. Former Roma legend Antonio Tempestilli, who celebrated his 67th birthday, reflected on the approaching match in an interview. He spent 12 seasons at Roma between 1981 and 1993, split evenly with Como. Tempestilli highlighted the risks of the long international break, saying: "A break that long can cause some problems with many players away on international duty: you have to see if there has been fatigue, hope everyone has returned fit. But that applies to everyone, starting with Como. Now you have to switch back on the mentality that Roma showed before the break. Gasperini is a guarantee in that sense." Gian Piero Gasperini will hold his pre-match press conference at Trigoria tomorrow at 13:30. Elsewhere, Vincenzo Montella's tenure as Turkey's head coach has officially ended. The Turkish Football Federation announced today that its board formally removed him from his position following a series of four consecutive defeats in the recent UEFA Nations League cycle. Montella, an ex-Roma player and former manager of the club, had held the role since September 2023.

Marten De Roon will make his Roma debut as a starter in Sunday's away fixture at Como, taking over from the injured Bryan Cristante in midfield. The experienced Dutch midfielder, signed by Gian Piero Gasperini, carries responsibility for delivering quality, balance and experience in a high-stakes match that demands strong character—attributes the Roma boss knows well from De Roon's time at Atalanta. The international break proved crucial for De Roon's preparation. Without commitments to his national team, he trained continuously at Trigoria under the direction of Gasperini's long-time assistants Borelli and Boccolini, following an individual programme split between field and gym work to regain his sharpness. Alongside the manager, vice-coach Gritti and Fumagalli, De Roon studied tactical scenarios to arrive ready to step in from the first minute. Gasperini plans to build the rest of his formation on familiar foundations. The defensive line will feature Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso, with Wesley and Nahuel Molina operating on the flanks. Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen will lead the attack at the Stadio Sinigaglia. The sole significant question remains the attacking midfield role, where a close contest between Rodrigo Mora and captain Lorenzo Pellegrini remains unresolved. Pellegrini has used the two-week break to recover full fitness and is a strong candidate for a starting place. Gasperini will make his final decision only in the closing hours of training, selecting whoever best suits the role of unlocking the front pair and bridging the midfield and attack.

Roma's squad completed an afternoon training session at the Fulvio Bernardini centre on 8 October, stepping up their intensity ahead of the imminent resumption of the Serie A campaign. The session, conducted in heavy rain but with a relaxed atmosphere of athletic work, running and tactical small-sided games, saw the final reunion of the South American internationals with the rest of the group. Matías Soulé, Leonardo Balerdi and Santiago Castro returned to Italy on the morning of 8 October and took part in the full session, putting themselves at the disposal of Gian Piero Gasperini's coaching staff. Roma's chief executive John Galantic was present on the touchline to witness the preparations. Bryan Cristante remains the only absentee, sidelined by a knee problem that will keep him out of the squad for the forthcoming trip to Como. Gasperini will deploy Marten de Roon to cover Cristante's absence in midfield, with the experienced Dutch midfielder starting alongside Manu Koné to provide defensive cover, midfield control and physical presence in Roma's play. The Como fixture marks the beginning of a demanding fixture list in October, with Gasperini using this session to refine final tactical details and prepare the group for the weeks ahead.

Santiago Castro, Matías Soulé and Leonardo Balerdi have returned to full training with Roma ahead of Sunday's Serie A fixture against Como, scheduled for 12:30 at the Sinigaglia stadium on 11 October. The three Argentine internationals had completed only a recovery session the previous day after their national team commitments but trained normally with the squad on 9 October. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini now has nearly his entire roster available, with Bryan Cristante remaining the sole absentee and set to miss the Como match. Cristante's absence creates an opening in midfield, where Marten de Roon is increasingly favoured to start alongside Manu Koné. Two selection decisions remain unresolved. On the attacking midfield line, competition continues among Rodrigo Mora, Soulé and Lorenzo Pellegrini, with Mora currently holding a slight edge. At the back, Evan N'Dicka appears to have the advantage over Balerdi, partly because the Ivorian has been able to train consistently at Trigoria during the international break. Roma CEO John Galanic was present at the training session on 9 October. Gasperini will conduct the final preparation session on 10 October before making his final team selection ahead of the journey to Como. The club is now nearly at full strength following the extended international window.

Marten De Roon will make his Roma debut as a starter in Sunday's away fixture at Como, taking over from the injured Bryan Cristante in midfield. The experienced Dutch midfielder, signed by Gian Piero Gasperini, carries responsibility for delivering quality, balance and experience in a high-stakes match that demands strong character—attributes the Roma boss knows well from De Roon's time at Atalanta. The international break proved crucial for De Roon's preparation. Without commitments to his national team, he trained continuously at Trigoria under the direction of Gasperini's long-time assistants Borelli and Boccolini, following an individual programme split between field and gym work to regain his sharpness. Alongside the manager, vice-coach Gritti and Fumagalli, De Roon studied tactical scenarios to arrive ready to step in from the first minute. Gasperini plans to build the rest of his formation on familiar foundations. The defensive line will feature Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso, with Wesley and Nahuel Molina operating on the flanks. Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen will lead the attack at the Stadio Sinigaglia. The sole significant question remains the attacking midfield role, where a close contest between Rodrigo Mora and captain Lorenzo Pellegrini remains unresolved. Pellegrini has used the two-week break to recover full fitness and is a strong candidate for a starting place. Gasperini will make his final decision only in the closing hours of training, selecting whoever best suits the role of unlocking the front pair and bridging the midfield and attack.

Roma's squad completed an afternoon training session at the Fulvio Bernardini centre on 8 October, stepping up their intensity ahead of the imminent resumption of the Serie A campaign. The session, conducted in heavy rain but with a relaxed atmosphere of athletic work, running and tactical small-sided games, saw the final reunion of the South American internationals with the rest of the group. Matías Soulé, Leonardo Balerdi and Santiago Castro returned to Italy on the morning of 8 October and took part in the full session, putting themselves at the disposal of Gian Piero Gasperini's coaching staff. Roma's chief executive John Galantic was present on the touchline to witness the preparations. Bryan Cristante remains the only absentee, sidelined by a knee problem that will keep him out of the squad for the forthcoming trip to Como. Gasperini will deploy Marten de Roon to cover Cristante's absence in midfield, with the experienced Dutch midfielder starting alongside Manu Koné to provide defensive cover, midfield control and physical presence in Roma's play. The Como fixture marks the beginning of a demanding fixture list in October, with Gasperini using this session to refine final tactical details and prepare the group for the weeks ahead.

Santiago Castro, Matías Soulé and Leonardo Balerdi have returned to full training with Roma ahead of Sunday's Serie A fixture against Como, scheduled for 12:30 at the Sinigaglia stadium on 11 October. The three Argentine internationals had completed only a recovery session the previous day after their national team commitments but trained normally with the squad on 9 October. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini now has nearly his entire roster available, with Bryan Cristante remaining the sole absentee and set to miss the Como match. Cristante's absence creates an opening in midfield, where Marten de Roon is increasingly favoured to start alongside Manu Koné. Two selection decisions remain unresolved. On the attacking midfield line, competition continues among Rodrigo Mora, Soulé and Lorenzo Pellegrini, with Mora currently holding a slight edge. At the back, Evan N'Dicka appears to have the advantage over Balerdi, partly because the Ivorian has been able to train consistently at Trigoria during the international break. Roma CEO John Galanic was present at the training session on 9 October. Gasperini will conduct the final preparation session on 10 October before making his final team selection ahead of the journey to Como. The club is now nearly at full strength following the extended international window.

Roma continued preparations for Sunday's match against Como at the Sinigaglia, which kicks off at 12:30, with an afternoon training session on Wednesday. Matías Soulé, Leonardo Balerdi and Santiago Castro returned to the squad after arriving back in Italy on Tuesday morning from international duty. The group trained in mixed conditions with running drills, small-sided games and rain, with CEO John Galantic present at the training ground. Bryan Cristante remains sidelined with a knee problem, with Marten de Roon standing ready to replace him. Niccolò Pisilli, who sat out the previous session due to flu symptoms, trained normally with his teammates and will be available for selection. Roma face a demanding October fixture schedule beginning with the trip to Como.

Roma's radio phone-in shows debated the Friedkin Group's position in football following reports of the sale of Everton, with opinion divided on whether the move signals a strategic retreat from sport or a commitment to focus solely on Roma. Gianluca Piacentini of Rete Sport argued the Everton sale could be a precursor to exiting Roma: "The sale of Everton by the Friedkin could be a step towards also selling Roma. They invested first in the stadium and then in the club there. Here in Rome they did the opposite. It may be they realised football is not the business they imagined and are liquidating. When there is final approval for the stadium construction, they could decide to leave Roma too." Tiziano Moroni took the opposite view, seeing the move as freeing resources to concentrate on Roma. Checco Oddo Casano suggested Everton's position in England and location offered poor strategic returns, though he too speculated the Friedkin might eventually sell Roma. Piero Torri expressed hope the sale was genuine, saying: "If the Friedkin have only Roma, it is better for us." On the pitch, David Rossi criticised Gasperini's approach to midfield strength: "There is one thing Gasperini is very wrong about: the number of central midfielders Roma needs to have available. I think four is too few, given the type of strain they undergo. When one gets injured, you have only one substitute at midfield. If there is an unfortunate suspension or something else, you are left with two central midfielders for two places. An ambitious squad cannot go into a grind like the one coming up with three midfielders for two spots. There is another aggravation: Pisilli is a different kind of reserve from all the others—more of an alternative than a reserve. If you need a thinking midfielder, that is another weakness." On Rodrigo Mora, Francesca Ferrazza of Tele Radio Stereo said: "The problem for Mora is that he needs time, but Roma has no time. He would need to be protected and sheltered, and for that another player should have been signed to give him time to grow. Instead he has to be a starter already, because you have Soulé who is adapted to the left, you have Pellegrini, and you have nothing else. The point seems clear to me: Mora would need to be sheltered, but we have no time for it." Mario Corsi backed Mora's quality and urged Gasperini to start him at Como. Roberto Pruzzo suggested Pisilli deserved midfield minutes on Sunday. Mario Mattioli rated a draw as the most likely result at Como, defending Marten de Roon's fitness despite his age: "I have followed him always—he is an inexhaustible motor. He has 35 years, and well, there are players who have an athleticism and longevity that others do not. Perhaps he cannot play every match, but we will see his contribution in the coming matches."

Donyell Malen has explained his move to Roma and his early impressions in an interview with Corriere dello Sport, crediting the club's environment and coaching for unlocking his best form. The forward said he had never scored as many goals as he has in his first weeks at Roma, attributing the change to finding the right place with the right people. "I've played a lot everywhere, but today I believe I'm in the right place with the right people," Malen said. "The coach and my teammates give me a lot of confidence, and all these things together bring me to be what I dreamed of." He described an immediate connection with Paulo Dybala, laughing at online nicknames like "Dymalen" and "Dybalen" that play on their names. Malen confirmed he decided to leave Aston Villa himself, seeking regular football and a central role in the team. "I wanted to play, to be part of a squad where I could take the pitch every weekend and be important," he said. "In that phase I didn't feel I was, so I think I made the best choice." He praised Roma's stature, fanbase, and coaching staff as decisive factors in his decision, and highlighted the adjustment to Serie A's climate and defensive structure compared to the Premier League. "In England it rains a lot and it's cold. Here, in summer, you have to slow the game down: you can't go back and forth at forty degrees. In the Premier League there's a different philosophy—you never find defensive blocks like those in Italy." Malen revealed he was injured during the recent international break and regretted being unable to answer a Netherlands call-up. He also praised several teammates, singling out Niccolò Pisilli as "very young but you see immediately that he has quality" and Manu Koné as "fantastic." On head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, Malen said: "The way he manages players: you know he'll never lie to you." He acknowledged Gasperini's training sessions are "very heavy at times" but stopped short of confirming he had vomited from exhaustion like some other players have reported. He did reveal Gasperini threw furniture in the dressing room after the Parma match in celebration: "It was incredible. He was too happy: a table flew too."