Malen's Goal Streak Fuels Roma's Champions League Comeback Bid

Wesley has returned to full training and will occupy the left flank in Monday's season opener against Fiorentina at the Olimpico, with an ankle problem now resolved. The Brazilian, who missed a friendly against Borussia Dortmund, scored against the Viola at the same venue last season and is ready to feature. Molina will make his debut on the opposite flank. In midfield, Gasperini will deploy the Cristante–Koné pairing, while the main uncertainty centres on the attacking midfield role behind Dybala and Malen, where Mora and Soulé are competing. The defence will be anchored by Svilar in goal, with Mancini, N'Dicka, and Hermoso forming the back three. Pisilli is also available, though Pellegrini will need more time to recover. Roma are primed for their 2026–27 campaign.

Fiorentina will arrive at the Stadio Olimpico on Monday 24 August for the opening day of the 2026-27 Serie A season, three days away. Midfielder Arthur Atta and midfielder Rolando Mandragora remain sidelined, continuing individual work away from the squad after the previous day's session. Both players have yet to rejoin full training, a situation that has begun to cause concern. Alex Jimenez and Joao Mario have already returned to group training on Wednesday. Their availability for Roma's trip is now in doubt. Today's training session will be decisive in determining whether Atta and Mandragora can be fit and available for the fixture on 24 August.

Roma will open their 2026-27 Serie A campaign against Fiorentina on Monday at 20:45 in the late fixture of matchday one at the Olimpico. The fixture is far from a new one: the two clubs have met in Serie A's opening match on 11 previous occasions, a record that stretches back to the 1934-35 season. Roma lost 4-1 away at Firenze in that first meeting, but won 4-0 at home three years later. The Giallorossi took a narrow home win in 1942-43, while Fiorentina levelled the score with a Tuscan victory in 1947-48. Two meetings between the late 1960s and early 1970s both went to Fiorentina, 2-1 at Rome in 1968-69 and 1-0 in 1970-71. After a 20-year gap, Roma won 4-0 at the Olimpico in 1990-91, and then 3-0 at home in 2004-05. The most recent openers between the sides came in 2014-15 and 2021-22, both won by Roma at the Olimpico. The first saw goals from Nainggolan and Gervinho in a 2-0 victory, while under Mourinho in 2021-22 Roma won 3-1, with Veretout scoring twice after early goals from Mkhitaryan and Milenkovic. The upcoming match will give Gasperini's squad their first competitive outing of the season.

Wesley has returned to full training and will occupy the left flank in Monday's season opener against Fiorentina at the Olimpico, with an ankle problem now resolved. The Brazilian, who missed a friendly against Borussia Dortmund, scored against the Viola at the same venue last season and is ready to feature. Molina will make his debut on the opposite flank. In midfield, Gasperini will deploy the Cristante–Koné pairing, while the main uncertainty centres on the attacking midfield role behind Dybala and Malen, where Mora and Soulé are competing. The defence will be anchored by Svilar in goal, with Mancini, N'Dicka, and Hermoso forming the back three. Pisilli is also available, though Pellegrini will need more time to recover. Roma are primed for their 2026–27 campaign.

Rodrigo Mora has made an immediate impact at Roma since arriving at the Fulvio Bernardini training centre on Wednesday, impressing head coach Gian Piero Gasperini enough to earn consideration for a starting place in Monday's season opener against Fiorentina at the Stadio Olimpico. Gasperini is expected to deploy his customary 3-4-1-2 formation for the league debut, with three attacking midfielders operating behind the front pairing of Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen. Matías Soulé remains the favourite for the trequartista role, but Mora has risen sharply in the pecking order after impressing in initial training sessions. Bryan Cristante offers an alternative and defensive balance, though the ongoing fitness concerns surrounding Manu Koné and Neil El Aynaoui, combined with Niccolò Pisilli's gradual return, may push Cristante back into midfield proper. The match is expected to draw a large crowd, with the visiting supporters' section now open to Fiorentina fans.

Gian Piero Gasperini begins his second season at Roma with renewed momentum after the club secured third place last season and a return to the Champions League for the first time in seven years. The transfer window has reshaped the squad with reinforcements across multiple positions, though primary targets Mason Greenwood and Summerville eluded the club. Roma's summer business has produced a deeper, more complete squad better aligned with Gasperini's tactical vision. Molina arrived to offset the loss of Çelik and represents an upgrade; Castro will support Donyell Malen as an alternative; Koulierakis extends defensive rotation; and Rodrigo Mora has captured attention. No significant departures have materialised — unusual given financial fair play constraints — which Gasperini welcomes as Roma shapes up for the coming campaign. Paulo Dybala remains pivotal to the club's balance, though physical uncertainties surround his availability. The transfer market investment has been substantial across three figures, and the absence of standout exits leaves the side well-resourced heading into a season built on Champions League ambitions.