Lulli's rise: from Avellino loan that fell through to Gasperini's key defender

Lorenzo Pellegrini is using the international break to complete his recovery and return to full fitness ahead of Roma's resumption of the Serie A season. The club captain has been named in the squad for recent matches against Torino and Inter but has not yet featured, with his last appearance dating to 10 April against Pisa when he suffered a thigh injury. An attempted comeback for the derby in the closing stages of last season resulted in a setback, leading to surgical intervention in Finland in early June. Gasperini indicated before Roma–Inter that the international break presented an opportunity for Pellegrini to increase his workload further. The midfielder is targeting availability for the away fixture at Como and aims to accumulate minutes in the following sequence of fixtures. Pellegrini renewed his contract in the summer for a single season on a net wage of €2.5 million and must now compete for a place on the attacking midfield line, where Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora represent the principal competition. Last season he started 25 of 37 matches in which he was named in the squad, underlining his significance to the group, and Gasperini had pushed for his retention. After six months without a competitive appearance, the focus now centres on his return to the pitch.

Lorenzo Pellegrini is working to return to full fitness and reclaim a starting place in Roma's squad. The captain has not played since sustaining an injury on 10 April against Pisa, meaning a potential appearance against Como would come 184 days after that setback. During his career, the 30-year-old has never spent such an extended period sidelined. Pellegrini's recovery path has been complicated. After the initial injury forced him off at half-time against Pisa, he suffered a setback while attempting to accelerate his return for the derby, requiring surgical intervention in Finland. Despite the prolonged absence, his importance to Roma remains central to both the dressing room and Gian Piero Gasperini's tactical setup. Last season he made 25 starts in 37 appearances. His standing was reinforced by a recent contract renewal worth 2.5 million euros per season, a deal strongly backed by Gasperini, who pressed the club's management to keep him in the squad. During the current international break, Pellegrini will intensify his training load at Trigoria to reach full fitness ahead of the campaign's resumption. Gasperini said of the extended break: "The long break will be an opportunity to do something more," signalling his confidence in the midfielder's recovery. The aim is to convince the manager to reintegrate him into the rotation system and provide support during the coming fixture congestion.

Mile Svilar holds both Belgian and Serbian passports, yet today he has no national team to call his own. The Roma goalkeeper, now a regular fixture in Italian football's top tier, finds himself trapped by a regulatory paradox born from a decision made in 2021. Svilar rose through Belgium's youth system from Under-15 onwards, but on his father's advice accepted a call-up from Serbia in 2021 and made his senior debut in a friendly against Qatar at Debrecen, entering the match only as a substitute. He believed the friendly nature of the fixture would leave the door open for a future switch back to Belgium. When he later expressed his wish to represent Belgium, however, FIFA intervened. Having completed the entire Belgian youth pathway before choosing Serbia at senior level, the rulebook prevented him from changing federations again. The result: Serbia no longer calls him up, Belgium cannot call him up. So one of Roma's most important players sits out every international break. The timing has never been more acute. Thibaut Courtois recently decided against playing the full Nations League campaign for Belgium, creating a temporary gap in their goalkeeper hierarchy. Under different circumstances, Svilar would have had an enormous opportunity to fight for the position. Instead, he remains at Trigoria. His Roma form has only strengthened. Since Daniele De Rossi promoted him to number one, Svilar has recorded 48 clean sheets, equivalent to 38.4 per cent of the matches he has played. He has developed into a commanding presence through his personality, distribution, and one-on-one reading, and his footwork has improved markedly—attributes that have made him fully compatible with Gian Piero Gasperini's aggressive football. For Roma, the paradox offers a small silver lining: Svilar remains in the capital during international breaks, working with the staff and avoiding travel and fixture fatigue. For the player, though, it remains a painful situation. Two passports, two possible national teams, none available today—all because of a choice made in 2021, when he thought a brief appearance in a friendly would not permanently close a door. That door has stayed firmly shut.

Giancarlo Antognoni, head of Italy's U21 delegation, has backed Emanuele Lulli for his first-ever senior youth squad call-up, saying the Roma defender merits the honour because he is playing regularly for his club. Speaking on the Amore Giallorosso programme on T9, Antognoni said: "I believe that Lulli deserves this call-up because he is playing as a starter for Roma and so coach Baldini has rightly taken him into consideration. Emanuele is an important player for Roma and will be for the national team too because his is a position that is somewhat uncovered. Before him we had Palestra and Kayode who were called up to the senior squad and so I believe that Lulli can represent an important surprise for the national team in future, and this is thanks to Roma for playing him. I believe Baldini sees something important in him." Lulli is among Roma's current squad and plays in the defensive ranks. Antognoni noted that Italy's U21 side have performed positively under coach Baldini, winning two recent senior friendlies against Luxembourg and Greece. The delegation head said the upcoming fixtures are pivotal: "We have these last two matches, and if we manage to win both of them we will qualify by right to first place. If something different happens, we will have to review our path a bit." Antognoni also discussed fellow Roma academy player Niccolò Pisilli, who is with the U21 squad. He stressed that being selected for the youth team rather than the senior side is not a demotion. "Pisilli is a guarantee for us," Antognoni said, "and being here instead of with the senior national team is not a step back. Mancini had called him up with the first squad, but since he is an important player for the U21 and we have these two important matches, it was decided to have him play with us." Pisilli celebrated his birthday during the squad's preparation phase. Italy's U21 team face Armenia next, followed by what Antognoni described as a probably decisive match against Poland as they pursue automatic qualification to the European Championship.

Roma's attacking threat from full-back positions has transformed under Gian Piero Gasperini this season, with the discoveries of Emanuele Lulli and the arrival of Nahuel Molina — described as a clear upgrade on Zeki Çelik — providing multiple offensive weapons beyond Wesley alone. Last season the giallorossi often struggled on the wings, but now rank among Serie A's most dangerous teams in wide areas. Lulli has created 4 chances, Molina 7 and Wesley 13 from their full-back positions, totalling 24 opportunities for Gasperini's side. This figure is surpassed in Italy only by Inter, whose wing-backs Dimarco and Diouf have combined for 26.

Roma's squad has increased in value by approximately €150 million over the past year, driven by Gian Piero Gasperini's management since his appointment. The club has returned to the Champions League after a seven-year absence, and the upturn extends beyond the pitch into the club's finances. Gasperini, who built a successful nine-year project at Atalanta, is repeating that model at Roma, with improvements visible across every department of the squad. Mile Svilar arrived on a free transfer and remains unchanged in value as an integral goalkeeper, while Evan N'Dicka, also a free signing, is now valued at €35 million. Mario Hermoso has been transformed from a surplus player into a defensive cornerstone worth €15 million. Gianluca Mancini's value has climbed to €25 million, and Leonardo Balerdi, a recent arrival, has already proven his calibre and reclaimed his place in Argentina's squad. Wesley, signed last summer for €25 million, has attracted a €40 million offer from Chelsea that Roma rejected. Young prospect Emanuele Lulli exemplifies the club's emerging talents whose economic value is rising. Niccolò Pisilli, a Roma academy product who rejected potential summer moves, now commands €30 million. Manu Koné, the headline signing of the summer window, remained at the capital despite interest and is valued at €60 million according to Transfermarkt. Donyell Malen's worth has jumped from the €25 million Roma spent in January plus €2 million in loan fees to a current valuation of €50 million. With numerous young players in the squad—including Konstantinos Koulierakis, Rodrigo Mora, Daniele Ghilardi, and Matías Soulé—these valuations are expected to grow further if on-field performance remains strong.

Gian Piero Gasperini has granted Roma an additional day off, cancelling training and rescheduling the squad's return to Trigoria for Tuesday afternoon. The head coach will spend the intervening days away from Rome. Lorenzo Pellegrini is back fit and ready to feature in the trip to Como on 11 October after sitting out the last two consecutive matches against Torino and Inter. Wesley, Bryan Cristante and Donyell Malen are all available with no fitness concerns. The main talking point, however, centres on a potential trip to Argentina for Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina. Both players have received official invitations from the Argentine Football Association to attend a tribute ceremony for Lionel Messi's international retirement on 6 October at the Monumental stadium, an event open to all members of Argentina's 2022 World Cup-winning squad. Gasperini would prefer to avoid the lengthy intercontinental journey for the pair just days before the Como league fixture, particularly given that neither would feature in that match. Dybala and Molina are both keenly motivated to attend an occasion of profound emotional and historical significance to Argentine supporters. Discussions between the club, coaching staff and players are set to continue in the coming days.

Donyell Malen has scored 20 goals in 23 Serie A appearances across the 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons, averaging a goal every 91 minutes on the pitch. His latest strike came against Turin, underlining his prolific form. Gasperini, however, is determined not to rely solely on Malen's finishing and is searching the squad for attackers capable of matching his pace. The approach mirrors Gasperini's nine years at Atalanta, where he consistently fielded multiple prolific forwards. Between 2018-19 onwards, Atalanta registered at least two players with 10 or more goals in every season, peaking at four double-figure scorers in 2023-24—the campaign they won the Europa League—when Scamacca, Koopmeiners, Lookman and De Ketelaere all scored in double figures in Serie A alone. Last season at Roma, Matías Soulé was the second-highest scorer with six goals, while all other attackers lagged behind Wesley, who managed five. This season, only Soulé and Rodrigo Mora have opened their accounts, while Paulo Dybala remains without a goal, as does Lorenzo Pellegrini, who is awaiting his debut. From the Como fixture onwards, those players face the task of sharpening Roma's attacking edge and lifting the overall potency of the forward line.

Gasperini has cancelled training on 25 September, giving the squad an extra day's rest before Roma's match at Como on 11 October. The head coach will spend the coming days away from Rome. Lorenzo Pellegrini's physical condition is improving and he should be available for the Como fixture after two spells on the bench during matches against Torino and Inter. Wesley, Bryan Cristante and Donyell Malen are not a concern. The central issue, however, is the planned Argentina trip by Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina. Both have been invited by the Argentine Football Federation to attend Messi's farewell match for the national team on 6 October at the Monumental stadium. All members of Argentina's 2022 World Cup-winning squad will be present, but Gasperini would prefer not to release them. With Roma's fixture at Como scheduled for 11 October, the coach wants to avoid an intercontinental journey for two players who would not even be taking the field. Both Dybala and Molina are keen to attend an occasion that will be historic for all Argentines.