Malen and injury list clearing: Gasperini refuses to abandon Europe

Italy's match against Belgium exposed significant technical and defensive weaknesses in Roberto Mancini's squad, particularly in the first half, with individual errors from Di Lorenzo, Gianluca Mancini and Coppola proving costly. The national team coach is preparing for a demanding away fixture in Turkey against Montella's side, who lost only 1–0 to France, and is already considering tactical changes beginning with the defence. Mancini, a Roma defender currently not performing at his best in this phase of the season, could be benched when Bastoni returns from suspension. Kayode is being considered as a potential replacement for Di Lorenzo, while Scalvini of Atalanta and Ahanor—who remained on the bench throughout the Belgium match—are also options. Mancini's potential absence would free up space for alternative defensive arrangements as the national team looks to tighten up after a shaky opening to their campaign. In midfield, Romano may be dropped, with Frattesi stepping in as a potential starter alongside Tonali in a deeper role, while Doumbia and Mandragora are waiting for their chance. In attack, Daniel Maldini is in line to feature, though Zaniolo is currently on a modified training schedule.

Lorenzo Pellegrini is working his way back to full fitness after injury, having regained his place in the squad and edging closer to a return to action. The number 7 has not played for six months but is now focused on rediscovering his sharpness on the pitch. Despite the extended absence, Pellegrini says he is in a settled place personally, reflecting on his recovery journey through a social media post at Trigoria's training ground. Pellegrini shared his thoughts on his mindset during rehabilitation, writing: "True happiness is being at peace with who you are." He accompanied the message with photographs from the training ground, his home gym work, and even a lighter moment improvising as a pizza maker. The recovery underscores Roma's patience with one of the club's academy graduates as he works toward match readiness.

Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina will not travel to Argentina for Lionel Messi's final international match, despite receiving invitations to attend. The Roma club and head coach Gian Piero Gasperini have jointly decided against the intercontinental trip that would have seen the pair reach Buenos Aires on 6 October. The decision allows Gasperini to maintain the full availability of both players throughout the international break and into the resumption of the league campaign.

Kevin Strootman has expressed strong confidence in Gian Piero Gasperini's Roma side, highlighting the impact of fellow Dutchman Donyell Malen and midfield reinforcement Marten De Roon. Strootman singled out Malen's quality and adaptation at the club. "I know him well and he is a very strong forward," Strootman said. "He has great quality and spectacular speed. I think Roma is the right team for him—he feels important and is showing it." On De Roon's arrival to strengthen Gasperini's midfield, Strootman stressed his experience and familiarity with Italian football and the coach's methods. "He is someone who always gives his all for the team and can help younger players," Strootman explained, underlining De Roon's presence in the dressing room. Asked about Roma's Scudetto ambitions, Strootman remained cautious: "Maybe… let's see where Roma will be in March."

Kevin Strootman, the former Roma midfielder, has praised the club's strong opening to the season under Gian Piero Gasperini and highlighted the growing presence of Dutch players in the squad. Speaking to Il Tempo, Strootman expressed confidence in the direction of the team and offered particular insight into Donyell Malen's early impact. "Gasperini is working very well," Strootman said. "Roma has had a decidedly important start to the season and I hope it can continue like this. They have played some great matches, playing rather well. What is important now is to continue down this road." On Malen's performances, Strootman believes the winger has found the right environment. "Roma is the right team for him," he stated. "He has had great quality and spectacular speed. He feels important and is demonstrating it. I am not totally surprised by his performances, even if probably an impact like this nobody expected. I wish him to continue like this." Malen has impressed after struggling for consistent starts in Germany and England, but at Roma has benefited from Gasperini's confidence. Strootman also spoke about Marten de Roon's arrival, describing him as a player of great experience who knows both Italian football and Gasperini's methods intimately. "Marten is a real dressing-room man, someone who always gives everything for the team and can help younger players too," Strootman explained. "He doesn't need to feel more important than others or be in the spotlight. Everything he does in training and in matches, he does for the group. This is very important for a team that wants to fight for the top places." Strootman also recalled giving Leonardo Balerdi a Roma shirt as a gift, saying he had "completely forgotten" about it until Balerdi mentioned it on Instagram. He praised the defender's early performances. On Roma's title prospects, Strootman was cautious: "Maybe… let's see where Roma will be in March."

Kevin Strootman has praised Roma's strong start to the season under Gian Piero Gasperini, highlighting the impact of fellow Dutch players Donyell Malen and Marten De Roon. Speaking to Il Tempo, the former Roma midfielder said of Gasperini's work: "Gasperini is working very well. Roma has had a decidedly important start to the season and I hope it can continue like this. The team has played great matches, playing quite well. The important thing now is to continue down this road." On Malen's performances, Strootman said: "I haven't played much together with him, but I've known him for a long time and he is a very strong forward. He did well both in Germany and in England, even though he wasn't always a starter. At Roma, however, he found a lot of confidence, especially thanks to the coach, and he is doing very well. The difference is also noticeable in the national team. He has great quality and spectacular speed. I think Roma is the right team for him; he feels important and is proving it. I'm not totally surprised by his performances, although probably nobody expected such an impact. I hope he continues like this." Strootman described De Roon as "a player of great experience. He knows the Italian league very well and, above all, he knows Gasperini's game. Marten is really a dressing-room man; he's someone who always gives his all for the team and can help younger players too. He doesn't need to feel more important than others or be in the spotlight. Everything he does in training and in matches, he does for the group. This is a very important aspect for a team that wants to fight for the top places." Strootman also recalled giving Leonardo Balerdi a Roma shirt during his Marseille days, saying: "When I read this on Instagram, I thought 'really?'… it's been a while, I'd completely forgotten about it. Leonardo is a really good lad, he has started his Roma adventure in the best way and I hope he can continue like this." On Roma's title prospects, Strootman said: "Maybe… let's see where Roma will be in March. In the meantime, I'll keep playing with my daughters, then we can chat again."

Lorenzo Pellegrini is working his way back to full fitness after injury, having regained his place in the squad and edging closer to a return to action. The number 7 has not played for six months but is now focused on rediscovering his sharpness on the pitch. Despite the extended absence, Pellegrini says he is in a settled place personally, reflecting on his recovery journey through a social media post at Trigoria's training ground. Pellegrini shared his thoughts on his mindset during rehabilitation, writing: "True happiness is being at peace with who you are." He accompanied the message with photographs from the training ground, his home gym work, and even a lighter moment improvising as a pizza maker. The recovery underscores Roma's patience with one of the club's academy graduates as he works toward match readiness.

Jamie Gittens suffered an ankle injury during England Under 21's match against Kazakhstan on Saturday, forcing him off the field at the 39-minute mark. The Chelsea forward, followed by Roma during the summer and still on the club's radar for future moves, left the pitch on crutches and will undergo examination. The severity of his injury will determine whether Roma's interest in him carries into the next transfer window. Roma have begun renewal talks with Emanuele Lulli, who impressed early in the season while on duty with Italy Under 21. The club's director and Lulli's agent have opened initial discussions to extend his contract, which runs until June. Both sides are understood to be willing to continue together, with a meeting scheduled at Trigoria in the coming days to advance negotiations. The Italian Football Federation's federal council has approved a change to the winter transfer window dates at the request of Serie A, with backing from Leagues B and Pro. The market will now open on 28 December instead of 1 January, with the closing date remaining Monday 1 February. FIFA approval is still required to make the change official. Lorenzo Pellegrini is using the international break to recover and aims to return for the Como fixture. Should he play, he will reach 350 appearances for Roma, matching Damiano Tommasi and climbing to 12th place in the club's all-time list. Pellegrini turned down a more lucrative offer from Besiktas and is keen to convince Gasperini to give him more playing time, though he currently sits behind Soulé and Mora in the pecking order.

Lorenzo Pellegrini is targeting a historic milestone in Roma's history. If he plays in the upcoming match against Como, he will reach 350 appearances for the club, matching Tommasi and claiming 12th place on the all-time list—a significant achievement in the giallorossi record books. Pellegrini has used the international break to work his way back to full fitness ahead of the Como fixture. The midfielder renewed his contract at Roma out of affection for the club, turning down a more lucrative offer from Besiktas. He remains determined to convince Gasperini of his quality and secure a starting role in the squad, though he currently sits behind Soulé and Mora in the pecking order. With a congested fixture calendar from October through November ahead, Gasperini will need depth in midfield, and Pellegrini is ready to answer the call.

Italy's match against Belgium exposed significant technical and defensive weaknesses in Roberto Mancini's squad, particularly in the first half, with individual errors from Di Lorenzo, Gianluca Mancini and Coppola proving costly. The national team coach is preparing for a demanding away fixture in Turkey against Montella's side, who lost only 1–0 to France, and is already considering tactical changes beginning with the defence. Mancini, a Roma defender currently not performing at his best in this phase of the season, could be benched when Bastoni returns from suspension. Kayode is being considered as a potential replacement for Di Lorenzo, while Scalvini of Atalanta and Ahanor—who remained on the bench throughout the Belgium match—are also options. Mancini's potential absence would free up space for alternative defensive arrangements as the national team looks to tighten up after a shaky opening to their campaign. In midfield, Romano may be dropped, with Frattesi stepping in as a potential starter alongside Tonali in a deeper role, while Doumbia and Mandragora are waiting for their chance. In attack, Daniel Maldini is in line to feature, though Zaniolo is currently on a modified training schedule.

Alessandro Romano made his senior debut for Italy against Belgium at the Olimpico on 26 September 2026, but the Corriere della Sera used his performance in a 2–0 defeat to reopen debate about Roma's decision to sell him. The newspaper's chief critic Fabrizio Roncone focused heavily on the midfielder's role in Belgium's opening goal: Romano received the ball in midfield, came under opponent pressure, and lost possession cheaply, allowing Belgium to counter rapidly. From that turnover came Godts's opening goal. The Corriere's assessment was blunt: "There is Romano in midfield seeing them descend on him, seeing only red shirts and making an easy pass mistake." More pointedly still, the paper stated: "This Romano is not the new Rodri. Get that out of your head. He is what he is." That judgment led directly to Gasperini and Roma. The Corriere argued that because Gasperini watched Romano daily at Trigoria and gave him only sparse first-team minutes before approving first a loan to Spezia and then a permanent move to Cagliari, the coach must have seen something that others are only now discovering. "If Gasperini, having had him at Trigoria under his eyes every day, decided he could be sold to Cagliari in the name of even modest profit, there must be a reason," the paper wrote. Romano's rise had been dramatic: at Cagliari he quickly earned a starting berth, scored on his first start in that role, and secured his Italy call-up. Analysts including Fabio Pisacane had compared him to Kevin Strootman, and Romano himself cited Rodri as his model. One poor performance against a vastly superior Belgium side at international debut cannot be conclusive for a 20-year-old, yet the Corriere's criticism inevitably resurrects questions about Roma's summer disposal. The broader match told against Romano too. The Corriere described Italy as slow, predictable, and unable to match modern European football's tempo, with Mancini's setup likened to "old, dusty tiki-taka"—dense possession without genuine attacking acceleration. Belgium played vertically, attacked space, and exploited the quality of De Bruyne, De Ketelaere and Godts. By half-time Belgium appeared "of another category," and Donnarumma was forced to make repeated saves to prevent a heavier defeat. Mancini withdrew Romano at the 65th minute, replacing him with Frattesi, but the script barely changed. Belgium scored a second and the Olimpico filled the final stages with whistles and protest.

Alessandro Romano's sale to Cagliari has become a flashpoint for criticism of Gasperini's transfer strategy, but the narrative conflates a promising young midfielder with an elite prospect and misreads Roma's reasoning for the deal. Romano earned excessive hype after four strong matches with Cagliari, leading to comparisons with Rodri and a call-up to the Italy squad after just 451 minutes in Serie A. His debut for the national team proved disastrous and drew unwarranted criticism. The sale itself became weaponised against Roma—a club top of the league with unprecedented numbers—as though offloading Romano represented a catastrophic error. Roberto Mancini, Italy's current manager, fuelled the narrative, saying in a press conference: "Romano, I knew little of him, but he impressed me at the first matchday and I wanted to see him. I believe he can be important for the national team's future, he plays with first touch and Ranieri did well to flag him." Mancini's comments overlooked a key fact: Romano had debuted under Gasperini, who therefore did not rate him as poorly as the mythology suggests. Gasperini's decision to sell Romano for a fee reaching €9 million with bonuses and a resale percentage was nearly unavoidable given squad structure and midfield depth. Romano would have been a fifth-choice option and lacked the characteristics ideal for Gasperini's system. The absence of a buyback clause is a legitimate point of debate, though including one would have significantly reduced the final figure. Within days, fears took hold that Roma had lost another De Rossi. Instead, the rush to portray Gasperini as foolish took precedence over assessing the emotional state of a young player who, a year earlier, was playing in Primavera. The article suggests other young defenders—Ghilardi, Tresoldi, Kayode, and Pisilli (on loan to the Under-21s)—merit national team opportunities more than Romano, and that diplomatic victory over Switzerland mattered more to the discourse than sporting judgment.