Malen improving but Gasperini not rushing return from knee injury

Gian Piero Gasperini can count on the return of Mile Svilar and Paulo Dybala for Roma's Serie A trip to Parma on 21 November, barring setbacks. The international break gives the coach a welcome boost as Roma aim to stay near the top of Serie A and climb the table in the Champions League. After two rest days granted by Gasperini, Roma reconvene at Trigoria tomorrow afternoon and train until Saturday morning. Dybala and Svilar will gradually rejoin the group. Svilar is due a further check-up after recovering from a stress fracture to the fifth toe of his foot. His rehabilitation, carried out between Belgium and Italy, has gone well, and he is set to be in goal against Parma on 21 November. Manu Koné and Nahuel Molina will also remain at Trigoria. Molina's omission has been decided by Roma; Scaloni has accepted the situation, making do with Balerdi, Soulé and Castro. La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that the break comes at the right moment to recover Dybala, the Joya, who is one of the key players for the squad. Roma are looking to stay in contention at the top of Serie A while working their way back up the Champions League standings.

Gian Piero Gasperini is set to have both Mile Svilar and Paulo Dybala available for Roma's trip to Parma on 21 November, barring any setbacks. The international break gives the coach a welcome boost as Roma look to stay near the top of Serie A and climb the table in the Champions League. Roma return to training at Trigoria tomorrow afternoon after two rest days granted by Gasperini, and will train there until Saturday morning. Dybala and Svilar will gradually rejoin the group. Svilar is due a further check-up after recovering from a stress fracture to the fifth toe of his foot. His rehabilitation, carried out between Belgium and Italy, has been successful, and he is expected to be between the posts against Parma on 21 November. Manu Koné and Nahuel Molina will also stay at Trigoria. Roma have ruled Molina out, with Lionel Scaloni having taken note and making do with Balerdi, Soulé and Castro. The article also links to a feature on the 13 Roma players called up by their national teams and the commitments they face during the break. Dybala's return is particularly important, as the club seeks to recover the Argentine forward, nicknamed La Joya, after the pause in Serie A.

Paulo Dybala and Mile Svilar are set to return to Roma's group after the international break, with both players coming back gradually. Roma are back at Trigoria tomorrow afternoon, where they will train until Saturday morning, following two days of rest granted by Gian Piero Gasperini. Svilar is expected to undergo a new check-up, having recovered from a stress fracture to the fifth toe of his foot. His rehabilitation, carried out between Belgium and Italy, has been successful, and he will be in goal against Parma on 21 November. Manu Koné and Nahuel Molina will also stay at Trigoria. For Molina, Roma have refused a call-up to the Argentina squad, and Lionel Scaloni has accepted this, making do with Balerdi, Soulé and Castro.

Former Roma defender Vincent Candela has written a letter to Il Messaggero backing Gian Piero Gasperini's message that the club must not be satisfied, and argues the side can still push for the title. Candela, a Serie A champion with Roma in 2001, says the team has every reason to believe it can compete until the end of the season, even though Inter have the strongest squad on paper and may win the league. Candela praised the way Roma play, writing: "Watching them play is a spectacle: they score, they entertain, and they show an intensity and quality that is not common, especially in Serie A." He credited Gasperini directly: "The credit goes to Gian Piero: his work is a guarantee." He also highlighted the coach's relationship with the city, saying he had approached it quietly and had already built a strong sense of belonging. Candela went through the squad in detail. He said the attack is firing on all cylinders, that Soulé has returned to making the difference, and that Cristante, de Roon and Koné are a guarantee in midfield. He added that Lulli and Pisilli bring freshness, and that the defence offers many guarantees. He also pointed to the start to the season with Malen as something that can make a difference. Candela concluded: "If you have clear ideas and give a couple of the pieces this squad is missing, you can enjoy yourselves even more. I am certain the club will do it."

Former Roma player Vincent Candela has written in a letter published by Il Messaggero that Roma should believe they can contend for the Serie A title until the end of the season, backing Gian Piero Gasperini's approach that the club should not settle for less. Candela wrote that Inter may win the league given they have the strongest squad, but that Roma have all the qualities to fight for it to the final day. Candela praised the way Roma play, saying watching them is a spectacle: they score, entertain and show an intensity and quality that is not common, especially in Serie A. He credited Gasperini for the team's progress, describing his work as a guarantee. He also praised the coach's relationship with the city, saying he approached it humbly and has already built a strong sense of belonging. Candela highlighted several players. He said the attack is firing on all cylinders, that Soulé has returned to making the difference, and that Cristante, de Roon and Koné in midfield are a guarantee. He added that Lulli and Pisilli bring freshness, and that the defence offers many guarantees. Starting the year with Malen, he said, can make the difference. He concluded that if the club keeps its ideas clear and adds a couple of pieces the squad is missing, the team can enjoy itself even more. He said: "I am certain the club will do it."

Roma are looking to strengthen in January, with sporting director Tony D'Amico prioritising a quick, right-footed winger who can operate from the left, cut inside and beat his man, as Gian Piero Gasperini has been waiting for since the summer. The club's room for manoeuvre is limited by the settlement agreement with UEFA, which is preparing a new fine for the Friedkin Group's club in November. For that reason, D'Amico is working on a model similar to the Donyell Malen deal: a loan with a option to buy, which could be turned into an obligation under certain conditions, spreading the investment over several financial years. The first name remains Endrick. The Brazilian from Real Madrid is still D'Amico's dream target, and contacts are being kept alive to see whether a door could open in January. The 2006-born talent is getting very little playing time and needs regular football. However, Roma must overcome the resistance of the Spanish club and its coach José Mourinho. Endrick also does not perfectly fit the profile of the left-sided winger with pace that Gasperini wants, although he would represent an opportunity of the highest level. The other concrete option leads to Jamie Gittens of Chelsea. The Englishman, already chased last summer, is a winger closer to the characteristics the coach is seeking. He too is struggling to find minutes, and the Blues could consider a temporary move. Competition is not lacking, but the possibility of a loan makes this option particularly interesting for Roma. The name of Giorgi Kvernadze of Frosinone also remains warm, but mainly with a view to next summer. The Ciociaro club does not seem willing to part with the Georgian mid-season and is working to tie him down with a renewal and a significant salary increase, so a January move appears complicated, while the discussion could reopen at the end of the season. Gasperini is also reportedly weighing the addition of a midfielder to his rotations. Over the summer he considered four central players sufficient, but the tight schedule of matches and the injury to Manu Koné have shown how thin the midfield cover can become. Among the names circulating again is Pierre-Emile Højbjerg of Marseille, a club facing financial difficulties. The Dane was already evaluated in the summer and could come back into focus. Wiafe of Genoa and Darryl Bakola of Sassuolo are also attracting interest, the latter a young profile with long-term potential on whom competition is already significant. For now these are interests to be explored, with no defined negotiations. Jayden Oosterwolde, by contrast, does not look set to be revisited, the move having fallen through over the summer after problems emerged in his medical tests. The striker therefore remains the absolute priority, but January could also bring a second signing. D'Amico must balance Gasperini's requests, the opportunities offered by the market and the club's financial constraints. Roma are showing they can compete at the top of Serie A, and the goal now is to give the coach more options to face the second half of the season without constantly asking the same players for extra effort.