Mancini explains Cristante omission from Italy squad

Roma midfielder Bryan Cristante has been left out of Italy coach Roberto Mancini's 31-man squad for the Nations League matches against France and Belgium, despite a strong start to the season with Roma. Mancini addressed the decision at a press conference today at Coverciano, where the squad is gathering. Mancini said: "We know Cristante, there is no need to prove him. When we need him, we will call him." He stressed that the decision was not technical. Instead, he said, it was aimed at giving more room to young players who will have the chance to show what they can do in the senior national team shirt. Two Roma players have been called up: Daniele Ghilardi and Niccolò Pisilli.

Thirteen Roma players have been called up by their national teams for the November international break, with Gianluca Mancini forced to withdraw from the Italy squad because of a muscular problem. Manu Koné remains in Rome after recently returning from injury, and he has not been called up by France coach Zidane. The international break sees Trigoria empty as Roma's players travel to their national sides around the world. Mancini's absence is a blow for Italy, and Koné's omission from the France squad means he will spend the break training with the club. The article sets out the fixtures the Giallorossi players will feature in across the two weeks of international football, with each player's match schedule detailed by country.

Netherlands head coach Xavi Hernandez has made clear that Roma forward Donyell Malen is, in his view, a centre-forward, even though he can also be used on the right. Malen has been recalled to the Dutch squad after missing the nation's most recent fixtures through injury. Speaking at a press conference, Xavi said: "For me Malen is a centre-forward. Of course, he is an option on the right, but he feels more comfortable playing as a striker." The comments appear to settle any doubt about the Dutchman's role. His predecessor Koeman often used him as a right winger, the same position he occupied during his time at Aston Villa. Since arriving in the capital, however, Gian Piero Gasperini has deployed him at the heart of the attack, producing thrilling results and convincing Xavi, the former Barcelona midfielder, of his value in that role. Xavi added: "The best thing we can do is give him confidence. Explain to him what we expect from him as a centre-forward. He knows how to attack the spaces, he understands what is asked of him. He recognises the right moment to be involved in the play. I think he can give the best of himself with the Oranje." Having won over Rome, Malen now wants to make his mark on the national team as well.

Roma midfielder Bryan Cristante has been left out of Italy coach Roberto Mancini's 31-man squad for the Nations League matches against France and Belgium, despite a strong start to the season with Roma. Mancini addressed the decision at a press conference today at Coverciano, where the squad is gathering. Mancini said: "We know Cristante, there is no need to prove him. When we need him, we will call him." He stressed that the decision was not technical. Instead, he said, it was aimed at giving more room to young players who will have the chance to show what they can do in the senior national team shirt. Two Roma players have been called up: Daniele Ghilardi and Niccolò Pisilli.

Thirteen Roma players have been called up by their national teams for the November international break, with Gianluca Mancini forced to withdraw from the Italy squad because of a muscular problem. Manu Koné remains in Rome after recently returning from injury, and he has not been called up by France coach Zidane. The international break sees Trigoria empty as Roma's players travel to their national sides around the world. Mancini's absence is a blow for Italy, and Koné's omission from the France squad means he will spend the break training with the club. The article sets out the fixtures the Giallorossi players will feature in across the two weeks of international football, with each player's match schedule detailed by country.

Thirteen Roma players have been called up by their national teams for the November international break, a sign of the squad's growing standing at the highest level, according to Il Messaggero's Daniele Aloisi. Trigoria will be almost empty in the early part of the week, with the gates reopening on Wednesday, leaving Gian Piero Gasperini to prepare for the resumption with a heavily reduced group. Gasperini had already made clear his view of the break, calling the upcoming international fixtures "amichevoli o poco più" (friendlies or little more) after the match against Sassuolo. Argentina, the runners-up at the World Cup, begin a new cycle without Lionel Messi and have recalled Matías Soulé, Leonardo Balerdi and Santiago Castro for friendlies against Uruguay and Costa Rica. Wesley faces a much longer trip, travelling to Singapore with Brazil for games against the hosts and Japan. Italy boss Roberto Mancini has opted for youth for the Nations League matches against France and Belgium. Niccolò Pisilli and Daniele Ghilardi will join up at Coverciano, while Bryan Cristante remains at Trigoria. Donyell Malen has also been called up and will meet Xavi, the new Netherlands coach, for the first time. Rodrigo Mora returns to the senior national team a year after his last call-up, which coincided with the campaign that ended in victory in the Nations League.

Roma midfielder Bryan Cristante has been left out of Italy coach Roberto Mancini's 31-man squad for the Nations League matches against France and Belgium, despite a strong start to the season with Roma. Mancini addressed the decision at a press conference today at Coverciano, where the squad is gathering. Mancini said: "We know Cristante, there is no need to prove him. When we need him, we will call him." He stressed that the decision was not technical. Instead, he said, it was aimed at giving more room to young players who will have the chance to show what they can do in the senior national team shirt. Two Roma players have been called up: Daniele Ghilardi and Niccolò Pisilli.

Bryan Cristante does not catch the eye, but he steals time from opponents, and that has long been the paradox of the Roma midfielder, who is often judged through an aesthetic prejudice that hides what he really brings to a match. He lacks the explosive burst of Manu Koné, does not live on dribbling and rarely produces a highlight-reel moment. But he knows the game, and he often knows it before anyone else. In this early stage of the Serie A season, Cristante is among the most consistent midfielders in the league, thanks to the rational and emotional order he conveys to the team. Under Gian Piero Gasperini he has returned to centre stage, not only in the pecking order but in the very construction of Roma's play. His quality lies above all in his timing. He knows when to speed up the build-up and when to slow the match down, finds the vertical pass with ease, and rarely forces a action without first having read the risks and rewards. The part of his game that is least visible and most important, however, is what he does without the ball. Cristante covers ground, reads the spaces, supports the press, and judges when to step forward and when to drop back to protect the defensive line. He does not simply chase the action; he tries to anticipate its development. This is also why coaches who are very different from one another have continued to consider him indispensable. Gasperini knows a version of Cristante that has almost disappeared from memory in his Roma years. At Atalanta he also used him as an attacking midfielder, exploiting his ability to make runs into the box and his quality in the area around goal. Today the player is different, more mature and probably less explosive, but that understanding of space has remained intact. Gasperini has simply given him another stretch of the pitch to interpret. Cristante remains a player who is difficult to describe through a single moment, and much easier to understand by watching an entire match. His style does not necessarily seek applause: it creates order, connects the lines and makes the game easier to read for those around him. The real misunderstanding about Cristante may lie precisely here: people keep looking for what he does not show, and forget to watch everything that makes the team work.

Thirteen Roma players have been called up by their national teams for the November international break, a sign of the squad's growing standing at the highest level, according to Il Messaggero's Daniele Aloisi. Trigoria will be almost empty in the early part of the week, with the gates reopening on Wednesday, leaving Gian Piero Gasperini to prepare for the resumption with a heavily reduced group. Gasperini had already made clear his view of the break, calling the upcoming international fixtures "amichevoli o poco più" (friendlies or little more) after the match against Sassuolo. Argentina, the runners-up at the World Cup, begin a new cycle without Lionel Messi and have recalled Matías Soulé, Leonardo Balerdi and Santiago Castro for friendlies against Uruguay and Costa Rica. Wesley faces a much longer trip, travelling to Singapore with Brazil for games against the hosts and Japan. Italy boss Roberto Mancini has opted for youth for the Nations League matches against France and Belgium. Niccolò Pisilli and Daniele Ghilardi will join up at Coverciano, while Bryan Cristante remains at Trigoria. Donyell Malen has also been called up and will meet Xavi, the new Netherlands coach, for the first time. Rodrigo Mora returns to the senior national team a year after his last call-up, which coincided with the campaign that ended in victory in the Nations League.