Lulli receives first official Serie A squad call-up of the season with Roma

Donyell Malen has been awarded the Italian Professional Footballers' Association (AIC) Player of the Month award for September, adding to his Player of the Month honour for the August–September period in Serie A. The Dutch forward has maintained extraordinary form at the start of the 2026–27 season, continuing the trajectory that ended his previous campaign with seven goals in the final seven matches of 2025–26. He has now scored six goals in Roma's first five matches of the current season. Malen's September standout performance came in a hat-trick display against Fiorentina, which the article describes as a programmatic statement of intent. The opening goal came from a dribble into the box followed by a backheel pass, the second was a left-footed strike under the crossbar, and the third arrived as a tap-in from Paulo Dybala's outside assist. He added a brace in Roma's first-half demolition of Lecce and scored again against Torino while sliding to the ground. His form has generated the sensation that accompanies elite peaks—the impression that every touch might be decisive, and anticipation with every possession. The article emphasises that Malen's effectiveness cannot be reduced to any single measurable attribute. He is not the fastest player in Serie A, nor does he possess the best shot or greatest power in acceleration; rather, his intelligence places him consistently one step ahead of opposing defenders. His ability to find space and time within the visual blind spots of defenders is described as exceptional, the article arguing that few players in the league possess his capacity to be hidden in plain sight. His rivals for the September award included Lautaro Martínez, Davide Frattesi and Giorgi Kvernadze.

Donyell Malen has been named Serie A player of September by the Italian Players' Association (AIC), beating competition from Lautaro Martinez, Davide Frattesi and Giorgi Kvernadze. The Roma forward has scored six goals in the season's first five matches, including a hat-trick on the opening day against Fiorentina, continuing the form that carried him through to May. Malen's performances have been described as "video-game level". The former Aston Villa player will now be called upon to deliver in Roma's upcoming away fixture at Como and in a Champions League night match at the Olimpico against Real Madrid.

Slim Bouaskar, a goalkeeper born and raised in Rome who chose to represent Tunisia internationally, has been named by The Guardian among the world's most talented and promising players born in 2009. Though largely unknown to Roma's supporters, Bouaskar continues to impress in the club's youth ranks and at the U17 World Championship. He has not yet made a senior debut, but Ranieri gave him an opportunity following José Mourinho's words to him: "In a few years you will train with my team." Bouaskar's dream is to compete for the number one shirt with Mile Svilar in the coming years. The two goalkeepers speak often, and Svilar's recognition of the young talent underscores Bouaskar's standing within the club's goalkeeper contingent.

Roma recorded the lowest minute tally among Serie A's top sides during the latest international break, accumulating 1,204 minutes across their squad members on national duty. AC Milan led the ranking with 2,625 minutes, followed by Inter on 2,352 and Napoli on 2,094. Roma's relatively modest figure reflects fewer players being called up for the four matches played by their national teams during this fixture congestion period. Rodrígo Mora topped Roma's minutes register for Portugal Under-21 with 225, ahead of Evan N'Dicka (Ivory Coast) on 187 and Gianluca Mancini (Italy) with 180. Niccolò Pisilli matched Mancini's total for Italy Under-21, while Manu Koné accumulated 152 minutes for France. The minutes spread unevenly across the squad: Konstantinos Koulierakis (Greece) played 90 minutes, Leonardo Balerdi (Argentina) 79, Matías Soulé (Argentina) 45, and Emanuele Lulli (Italy Under-21) 45. Santiago Castro (Argentina) featured for just 21 minutes, while Daniele Ghilardi (Italy) and Giorgio De Marzi (Italy youth) saw no action. In the broader Serie A comparison, Juventus recorded 1,772 minutes with Como on 1,587 and Lazio on 1,232. Among the top three, Milan's total was driven by players such as Jashari (Switzerland, 295 minutes), Pavlovic (Serbia, 275) and Ramos (Portugal, 275). Inter's Akanji (Switzerland) and Napoli's Lobotka (Slovakia) each played the maximum 360 minutes across their respective nations' campaigns. The international window has added significant load to players' schedules as calendars become increasingly congested with fixtures.

Como and Roma meet on Sunday in a fixture that spotlights two clubs most actively invested in youth development. The pair have the lowest average squad ages in Serie A: Como at 24.5 years and Roma at 25.8 years, ahead of Milan (26.5) and Juventus (26.8). Napoli lag furthest behind at 28.5 years. Both clubs field multiple players under 23 in prominent roles, with Como deploying Diao, Paz, Liberali, Ramon, Valle, Rodriguez and Baturina, while Roma call on Pisilli, Mora, Lulli, Wesley, Castro, Soulé and Ghilardi. The matchup represents a broader strategic commitment to the future across both squads. Roma and Como have both made future-focused recruitment a priority and plan to continue doing so in the next transfer window whilst maintaining experienced depth. Roma blend youth with senior players including Paulo Dybala, Bryan Cristante and Mario Hermoso. Como similarly pair development with established figures such as Milla, Butez and Douvikas under Fabregas. The contrast in playing styles is notable—both clubs seek to dominate opponents and entertain—yet they share this generational philosophy. Monza and Frosinone currently lead the league's average age table at 23.8 years, having reached matchday five. However, the quality of young talent matters as much as the statistical average. Neither Roma nor Como lack for that calibre of prospect, positioning the two clubs as genuine title contenders built on youth rather than veteran squads.

Roma's long legal dispute with former sporting director Gianluca Petrachi has come to an end after Italy's Court of Cassation made final a dismissal decision handed down by the club in July 2020. The case centred on a message Petrachi sent to then-president James Pallotta, whom he called "a small man", and further accusations that the court found contained "extremely grave insults" and allusions to alleged offences by the club's leadership. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini is building Roma around a squad with the lowest average age among Serie A's top sides—alongside Como. Pisilli is now a regular in rotation, and behind him Gasperini can call on several Under-23 players: Mora, Lulli, Wesley, Ghilardi, Castro and Soulé. That youth-focused project will be tested when Roma travel to Como, with both clubs representing two of Serie A's youngest squads. After the international break, Roma face a decisive month: from the Como fixture through Roma-Sassuolo on 7 November, they will play nine matches in 28 days. Three of those are Champions League games against Real Madrid, Slovan Bratislava and Manchester United, alongside a Serie A clash with Napoli. Gasperini has already made no secret of his ambitions, and the stretch will serve as a true measure of how far the squad can go.