Mancini seeks redemption after difficult start to the season

Lorenzo Pellegrini announced he is fully fit and eager to resume after six months out of action, speaking at an event where he received the Colalucci award. The midfielder, who had appeared on the bench twice before the international break but was not yet ready, said the three-week gap gave him the perfect opportunity to train, push himself and prove his readiness. "I'm finally back at the disposal of the team," Pellegrini said. "This break came at the perfect moment, because I had the chance to work, push and also test myself. I'm very happy and very charged for this restart." Roma sit high in the league after five matches without Pellegrini, though the season is only four hours old. The midfielder's return comes as the club prepares to resume domestic fixtures and chase Champions League duties on midweek. Asked about whether the coming fixture against Como will decide who becomes the main challenger to Inter, Pellegrini cautioned against premature judgments. "It's very difficult to say now. These are the first four hours of the campaign, and then we restart after a very long break. There will also be new things for us: not playing for three weeks is particular, and it's difficult to have to restart. We have lots of matches, because we'll then play the midweek Champions game. It will certainly be complicated." He added: "It's difficult to say this is the match that decides who will be Inter's rival, because the season is long, it's just started and we come from a break that never happened before." Pellegrini reflected on his longer journey at Roma, describing himself as a reserved but simple person deeply attached to the club. "I've always done what I felt was right," he said of his decision to stay. "I believed it could make me happy, and I'm proud of that, because you must never compromise when you do what you feel and when you respect above all the love you have for yourself, for what you do and for where you do it. Here in Rome it's very important to us." He also noted that Roma's dressing room under the current regime is strong and united. "I prefer the dressing room from before," he reflected on past approaches, "but I must say our dressing room is truly a lovely group: united, calm, working, serene and strong. It knows what its group objective is." On the morning after receiving his award, Pellegrini expressed hope that the occasion would bring good fortune for Sunday's fixture.

Papu Gomez has declared that Roma can win the Serie A title this season. Speaking to Tuttomercatoweb, the Argentine praised the club's credentials and highlighted his long working relationship with Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, under whom he played for several years at Atalanta and served as captain for five years. Gomez also welcomed a comparison Gasperini has made between him and Roma forward Paulo Dybala. Gomez believes Roma have the quality to challenge Inter for the scudetto, provided the squad and its key players remain fit. However, he acknowledged the difficulty of replicating Gasperini's sustained success. When asked whether Maurizio Sarri can open a winning cycle at Roma comparable to Gasperini's at Atalanta, Gomez said: "It will be very difficult to do a path like Gasperini did: ten years of success. I wish him well, but it's difficult. Then many things have to change because Sarri's football is not Gasperini's football. That squad, after so many years playing the same way with Gasperini, has to get used to playing different football. So let's hope Sarri has time and can build something important." Gomez stressed the affection he holds for Gasperini after their years together. "I know well the affection Gasperini has towards me, for all the years we lived, for what we built together. I was his captain for five years, so this is unforgettable. I'm pleased there is this comparison with great players like Dybala and let's hope he does very well there at Roma." On Roma's title chances, he concluded: "Easily. Today I see Roma as a strong squad, that knows how to play. If Roma is in health and the strong players are in health, for me it's the squad that can fight against Inter for the scudetto."

Roma are closing in on a fully assembled squad ahead of their Serie A resumption after the international break, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini welcoming back players from national-team duties and accelerating the rehabilitation of injured players at Trigoria. Bryan Cristante's absence through a right collateral ligament injury has opened a key midfield place. Marten De Roon is now the main candidate to partner Manu Koné, who has become the fulcrum of Roma's midfield with increasingly prominent box-to-box duties. De Roon remained at the training ground during the break and has been able to follow targeted preparation to reach peak condition. Niccolò Pisilli, returning from Under-21 international commitments, stands ready as a crucial option off the bench to provide freshness and intensity at key moments. Matías Soulé, Santiago Castro and Leonardo Balerdi—the three Argentine internationals—are due to arrive in Rome today and will rejoin Gasperini's squad from tomorrow onwards. Manu Koné has already resumed regular training with the main group alongside other players returning from international fixtures. The camp will complete its final session with a full complement before the Como fixture. Donyell Malen and Wesley, both unavailable for their national teams due to physical issues, have used the two-week break to continue individual rehabilitation. From today the pair will progressively return to group training, offering Gasperini valuable options in attack and across the flanks as the championship restarts.

The international break has ended and Roma players have returned to Trigoria, with Matías Soulé, Santiago Castro and Leonardo Balerdi due back in the capital today and available to Gasperini from tomorrow. The three Argentina internationals saw limited action across friendly matches against Bolivia, Burkina Faso and Benin. Balerdi played the most among them with 79 minutes, followed by Soulé (45 minutes) and Castro (21 minutes). They watched Argentina's farewell to Lionel Messi from the bench and are now set for the upcoming Como fixture. Rodrigo Mora emerged as Roma's most-used player during the international window, accumulating 225 minutes with Portugal Under-21. The 2007-born midfielder scored a bicycle kick and provided an assist. Evan N'Dicka (187 minutes), Gianluca Mancini and Niccolò Pisilli (both 180 minutes) followed him. Manu Koné featured in three of France's four matches, totalling 151 minutes, though he was absent against Italy and came off the bench only late in the fixture against Belgium. Emanuele Lulli and Konstantinos Koulierakis saw less action, playing 45 and 90 minutes respectively. Gasperini began formation drills today and reunited with Wesley and Donyell Malen, both of whom remained in Rome due to minor injuries that have now been resolved.

Roma have renewed their interest in Issa Doumbia following his maiden start for Italy against Turkey on Sunday, which the Giallorossi won 3–1. The 22-year-old Sporting CP midfielder impressed Roma and Juventus during the match, according to Turkish journalist Ekrem Konur. Doumbia played the full 90 minutes and was involved in the build-up to Italy's first and third goals, a display that has brought fresh attention to a player Roma were already monitoring during the summer transfer window. Doumbia moved from Venezia to Sporting in June and signed a contract until 2031 with the Portuguese club. His agreement includes a €80 million release clause, officially confirmed by Sporting at the time of his transfer. That figure does not necessarily represent Sporting's asking price for any negotiation, but demonstrates the club's confidence in the player and the difficulty of engineering a move in the near term. For now, Roma's stance appears to be one of interest and observation rather than active pursuit. The midfielder's performance in the Stadio Olimpico victory gave him a significant platform at international level. His involvement in two of Italy's goals under Roberto Mancini underlined the quality that has drawn Roma's eye previously, and the display has intensified Italian clubs' focus on a prospect already known to the Giallorossi.

Roberto Mancini is settling into his return as Italy manager with the Azzurri in second place after four Nations League matches, despite an early defeat to Belgium. He has maintained his trademark approach of rapidly integrating young talent into the senior setup, with 64 youth debutants in 65 matches spent in the national team dugout. During the most recent international window, he introduced Alessandro Romano, Issa Doumbia, Michael Kayode, Sebastiano Esposito, Matteo Ruggeri, Antonio Vergara, and Mohamed Alì Zoma, who all performed credibly. Niccolò Pisilli, a Roma squad member, is among the next group of youngsters in line for a call-up, alongside Alphadjo Cissè, Cher Ndour, and Antonio Raimondo. A couple of them already featured for Italy in June when Silvio Baldini was caretaker manager. Three additional newcomers—Honest Ahanor, Eddy Kouadio, and Samuel Inacio—made their first squad call-ups but will have to wait until November to earn their maiden caps; Mancini held back the latter two partly to avoid triggering national team calls from Côte d'Ivoire and Brazil, though he notes Italy's U-21 side also needed them for European Championship qualification. Mancini observed that the players showed greater unity, tactical cohesion, spirit, and commitment than in the final stretch of his previous reign and the subsequent periods under different coaches. Most of the young talent are expected to remain at the forefront, with their quality and energy already evident.

Lorenzo Pellegrini announced he is fully fit and eager to resume after six months out of action, speaking at an event where he received the Colalucci award. The midfielder, who had appeared on the bench twice before the international break but was not yet ready, said the three-week gap gave him the perfect opportunity to train, push himself and prove his readiness. "I'm finally back at the disposal of the team," Pellegrini said. "This break came at the perfect moment, because I had the chance to work, push and also test myself. I'm very happy and very charged for this restart." Roma sit high in the league after five matches without Pellegrini, though the season is only four hours old. The midfielder's return comes as the club prepares to resume domestic fixtures and chase Champions League duties on midweek. Asked about whether the coming fixture against Como will decide who becomes the main challenger to Inter, Pellegrini cautioned against premature judgments. "It's very difficult to say now. These are the first four hours of the campaign, and then we restart after a very long break. There will also be new things for us: not playing for three weeks is particular, and it's difficult to have to restart. We have lots of matches, because we'll then play the midweek Champions game. It will certainly be complicated." He added: "It's difficult to say this is the match that decides who will be Inter's rival, because the season is long, it's just started and we come from a break that never happened before." Pellegrini reflected on his longer journey at Roma, describing himself as a reserved but simple person deeply attached to the club. "I've always done what I felt was right," he said of his decision to stay. "I believed it could make me happy, and I'm proud of that, because you must never compromise when you do what you feel and when you respect above all the love you have for yourself, for what you do and for where you do it. Here in Rome it's very important to us." He also noted that Roma's dressing room under the current regime is strong and united. "I prefer the dressing room from before," he reflected on past approaches, "but I must say our dressing room is truly a lovely group: united, calm, working, serene and strong. It knows what its group objective is." On the morning after receiving his award, Pellegrini expressed hope that the occasion would bring good fortune for Sunday's fixture.

Roma resume their title push four days before Sunday's Serie A fixture at Como. Gian Piero Gasperini entered the decisive phase of preparation with the squad finally coming together after a three-week international break. The Argentine trio of Matías Soulé, Santiago Castro and Leonardo Balerdi were expected back at Trigoria today following their commitments with the national team and Argentina's final match with Messi. Rodrigo Mora and Manu Koné had already returned yesterday after international duty. Encouragingly, Wesley and Donyell Malen have progressively increased their workload in recent sessions, training partially with the group, and from today could be fully integrated. Both are set to be available for Sunday's 12.30 kickoff at Sinigaglia, where Roma will defend their shared first-place position with Inter and Lazio. Bryan Cristante remains the only confirmed absence through injury. Marten de Roon is the leading candidate to replace him in midfield alongside Koné, with Wesley on the left and Nahuel Molina on the right. The left-wing spot remains unresolved, with a straight battle between Soulé and Mora, though Lorenzo Pellegrini is poised to challenge both. Pellegrini spoke about his readiness: "I feel good, the break has helped." The midfielder's availability underlines Roma's growing depth as they bid to sustain their challenge at the top of the table.

Roma return from international duty with most players available for Sunday's trip to Como, the first of two fixtures that will test Gasperini's squad before Real Madrid arrive at the Olimpico four days later. Manu Koné and Rodrigo Mora returned yesterday, while Leonardo Balerdi, Matías Soulé and Santiago Castro rejoin today after their commitments with Argentina's national team. Bryan Cristante remains sidelined by a knee ligament problem, opening the door for Marten de Roon to make his Roma debut from the start alongside Koné in midfield. The selection puzzle centres on the third attacking option alongside Donyell Malen and Paulo Dybala. Lorenzo Pellegrini, fully recovered after a long absence, is favoured by some outlets after training throughout the break at Trigoria. Others back Soulé despite his late return from Argentina, while Rodrigo Mora retains a genuine chance after being the most used Roma player during the international window, clocking 225 minutes and scoring an overhead kick for Portugal Under 21. Gasperini has three very different solutions competing for one shirt, with Real Madrid's proximity potentially influencing Sunday's starting lineup. Malen and Wesley have both cleared their respective injury problems and are expected to feature against Como without concern. The Brazilian should return as a starter on the flank, though a contest remains between Nahuel Molina and Emanuele Lulli for the opposite side. In defence, Evan N'Dicka appears to have a slight edge over Balerdi, having resumed regular training at Trigoria while Balerdi only returns today. Malen has scored six goals in the first five matches and carries a significant objective into the resumption: approaching the 36-goal records of Higuain and Immobile. He scored 20 Serie A goals in 2026 alone—more than any other player—and had found the net at the Sinigaglia last season before Como's comeback. Dybala has seized the break to work without interruption, transforming physically and delivering greater consistency: 497 minutes played, four assists and three goals created so far, though his own goal drought stretches back to 18 January. The technical duel between Dybala and Como's Nico Paz will be one of the match's most compelling threads. Gasperini and Como manager Cesc Fabregas represent opposite generations and contrasting approaches to attacking football. Fabregas seeks to control rhythm and possession; Gasperini favours intensity, pressure and direct play. They have nearly thirty years between them, stand respectively as Serie A's youngest and oldest managers, and have won two matches each in four previous meetings. Their recent encounters have produced friction—Gasperini objected to Fabregas's use of the goalkeeper in Como's build-up, while Fabregas criticised Gasperini's failure to greet him after one fixture. Sunday's fixture, arriving at only the sixth matchday, already carries weight in gauging both teams' ambitions.

Roma are closing in on a fully assembled squad ahead of their Serie A resumption after the international break, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini welcoming back players from national-team duties and accelerating the rehabilitation of injured players at Trigoria. Bryan Cristante's absence through a right collateral ligament injury has opened a key midfield place. Marten De Roon is now the main candidate to partner Manu Koné, who has become the fulcrum of Roma's midfield with increasingly prominent box-to-box duties. De Roon remained at the training ground during the break and has been able to follow targeted preparation to reach peak condition. Niccolò Pisilli, returning from Under-21 international commitments, stands ready as a crucial option off the bench to provide freshness and intensity at key moments. Matías Soulé, Santiago Castro and Leonardo Balerdi—the three Argentine internationals—are due to arrive in Rome today and will rejoin Gasperini's squad from tomorrow onwards. Manu Koné has already resumed regular training with the main group alongside other players returning from international fixtures. The camp will complete its final session with a full complement before the Como fixture. Donyell Malen and Wesley, both unavailable for their national teams due to physical issues, have used the two-week break to continue individual rehabilitation. From today the pair will progressively return to group training, offering Gasperini valuable options in attack and across the flanks as the championship restarts.

Wesley has recovered from a muscular strain to his right thigh and is nearing a return to action. Malen is also ready to feature again as Roma's squad moves closer to full availability following the international break. At Trigoria on 7 October, midfielders Manu Koné and Rodrigo Mora completed recovery work. The pair's contributions during the break underlined their importance: Mora, born in 2007, accumulated the most minutes of any Roma player during the international window with 225 appearances and scored a bicycle kick for Portugal's Under-21 side. On 8 October, three Argentine players—Leonardo Balerdi, Matías Soulé and Santiago Castro—returned to training after being unused by Alfredo Scaloni during Argentina's farewell match for Lionel Messi. Of the three, Soulé appears to have the strongest chance of starting the next fixture. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini may deploy Evan N'Dicka at centre-back instead of Balerdi, with the Ivorian defender having trained at Trigoria since the start of the week. Bryan Cristante remains sidelined with a lateral knee ligament issue, creating a potential opportunity for Marten de Roon in midfield.

Bryan Cristante is ruled out through injury, prompting Gian Piero Gasperini to hand Marten De Roon his first start in a Roma shirt alongside Manu Koné in midfield for the trip to Como's Stadio Sinigaglia. Cristante is dealing with inflammation of the knee's collateral ligament, an absence that also threatens his availability for Roma's upcoming Champions League fixture against Real Madrid. The club is taking a cautious approach to his recovery and has opted for continuity in the midfield, selecting a player who has maintained full training throughout the international break. De Roon, who joined Roma in the summer, used the two-week rest period to complete targeted conditioning work and bring himself to the level of his teammates after accumulating limited minutes since the start of the season. A trusted ally of Gasperini from their time together at Atalanta, where De Roon served as a tactical and character reference point, the Dutch midfielder provides game-reading ability, defensive screening, and physicality. His presence as a starter will allow Roma to maintain solidity in front of their defence and shoulder Cristante's responsibilities in the central partnership with Koné. Gasperini will have Niccolò Pisilli available as a valuable midfield option from the bench, with Pisilli recently returning from Italy Under-21 commitments and ready to inject dynamism into the match if required. At Trigoria, the squad has regrouped fully; South American internationals Matías Soulé, Leonardo Balerdi, and Santiago Castro returned to the training ground this morning, allowing Gasperini to finalise tactical preparations for Como with his entire squad at his disposal.