Messi bids farewell with goal and two assists in Argentina's 3–0 win over Benin; Roma trio unused

Gian Piero Gasperini is preparing Roma for Sunday's trip to Como, kickoff 12:30 at the Sinigaglia, with three key selection dilemmas to resolve. The primary question concerns who will partner Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen in attack, with Lorenzo Pellegrini reportedly in front-runner status against Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora. Pellegrini has completed his recovery and trained encouragingly on Saturday; crucially, he is the only one of the three who worked at Trigoria throughout the international break without travelling for his national team. Soulé will return from Argentina only in the coming days after participating in the Albiceleste's fixtures and Messi farewell celebrations, meaning Gasperini will not have him available until Friday—just 48 hours before kickoff. Rodrigo Mora, engaged with Portugal Under-21, will also return during the week. Pellegrini's case is strengthened not only by continuity of preparation but by defensive contribution: without the injured Bryan Cristante, Gasperini may need the attacking midfielder to provide additional midfield cover and pressing against Como's possession-based approach under Fabregas, helping to compress spaces between the lines. In midfield, Marten de Roon is the leading candidate to replace Cristante, whose knee problem makes his availability in Como highly unlikely. Gasperini will not take risks and can draw on his knowledge of the Dutch midfielder from their Atalanta days. Manu Koné, expected at Trigoria today after France duty, will partner him, tasked with ball recovery, pressing support and rapid transition from defence to attack. At the back, Evan N'Dicka and Leonardo Balerdi are competing for a place, with N'Dicka potentially returning to the starting eleven after international football. N'Dicka has already returned to Trigoria; Balerdi faces the long journey from Argentina and is not expected to train with the group until Friday. Energy management may therefore influence Gasperini's choices. More positive news arrives from Donyell Malen and Wesley, both of whom took part in Saturday's session and are expected to be available for Sunday barring late problems. Malen's return would allow Gasperini to maintain his primary attacking reference, while Wesley provides important resources for pressing Como's wide areas. The Sinigaglia trip opens a particularly intense phase of the season. After Como, Roma will host Real Madrid in the Champions League, followed by a fixture against Genoa. Three close-fixture demands will force Gasperini to think beyond Sunday's starting eleven and into energy distribution across all three matches. For that reason, Soulé, Mora and Pellegrini may all find minutes in the coming fixtures regardless of who starts against Como.

Lorenzo Pellegrini is in line to feature in Roma's attacking midfield against Como after returning to full availability under Gian Piero Gasperini. The number 7 is ahead of Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora in the battle to complete the attacking setup in the away fixture. Gasperini's selection may be influenced by workload management. Pellegrini remained at Trigoria throughout the international break and has been able to work continuously under the coach's direction, while his direct rivals have been on international duty. Soulé is only expected back in the capital as the match approaches following his commitments with Argentina, while Mora returns this afternoon after time with Portugal Under 21. With the match just days away, this situation could affect Gasperini's starting decisions.

Radio commentators have raised concerns about Roma's preparation ahead of their Champions League fixture against Real Madrid, scheduled for next week. Nardo asked on TeleRadioStereo whether Roma are truly ready for the encounter. Other analysts highlighted potential squad-rotation issues as players return from international duty. Frenquelli noted on Radio Romanista that Balerdi and Soulé may not be deployed immediately given their late return, but said there is no cause for concern yet regarding Wesley and Malen. Mirabella observed that Roma's functional squad numbers only 24–25–26 players. Bighi, however, expressed worry about Wesley and Malen's fitness, reporting that both have continued training separately from the main group.

Gian Piero Gasperini is preparing Roma for Sunday's trip to Como, kickoff 12:30 at the Sinigaglia, with three key selection dilemmas to resolve. The primary question concerns who will partner Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen in attack, with Lorenzo Pellegrini reportedly in front-runner status against Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora. Pellegrini has completed his recovery and trained encouragingly on Saturday; crucially, he is the only one of the three who worked at Trigoria throughout the international break without travelling for his national team. Soulé will return from Argentina only in the coming days after participating in the Albiceleste's fixtures and Messi farewell celebrations, meaning Gasperini will not have him available until Friday—just 48 hours before kickoff. Rodrigo Mora, engaged with Portugal Under-21, will also return during the week. Pellegrini's case is strengthened not only by continuity of preparation but by defensive contribution: without the injured Bryan Cristante, Gasperini may need the attacking midfielder to provide additional midfield cover and pressing against Como's possession-based approach under Fabregas, helping to compress spaces between the lines. In midfield, Marten de Roon is the leading candidate to replace Cristante, whose knee problem makes his availability in Como highly unlikely. Gasperini will not take risks and can draw on his knowledge of the Dutch midfielder from their Atalanta days. Manu Koné, expected at Trigoria today after France duty, will partner him, tasked with ball recovery, pressing support and rapid transition from defence to attack. At the back, Evan N'Dicka and Leonardo Balerdi are competing for a place, with N'Dicka potentially returning to the starting eleven after international football. N'Dicka has already returned to Trigoria; Balerdi faces the long journey from Argentina and is not expected to train with the group until Friday. Energy management may therefore influence Gasperini's choices. More positive news arrives from Donyell Malen and Wesley, both of whom took part in Saturday's session and are expected to be available for Sunday barring late problems. Malen's return would allow Gasperini to maintain his primary attacking reference, while Wesley provides important resources for pressing Como's wide areas. The Sinigaglia trip opens a particularly intense phase of the season. After Como, Roma will host Real Madrid in the Champions League, followed by a fixture against Genoa. Three close-fixture demands will force Gasperini to think beyond Sunday's starting eleven and into energy distribution across all three matches. For that reason, Soulé, Mora and Pellegrini may all find minutes in the coming fixtures regardless of who starts against Como.

Radio commentators have raised concerns about Roma's preparation ahead of their Champions League fixture against Real Madrid, scheduled for next week. Nardo asked on TeleRadioStereo whether Roma are truly ready for the encounter. Other analysts highlighted potential squad-rotation issues as players return from international duty. Frenquelli noted on Radio Romanista that Balerdi and Soulé may not be deployed immediately given their late return, but said there is no cause for concern yet regarding Wesley and Malen. Mirabella observed that Roma's functional squad numbers only 24–25–26 players. Bighi, however, expressed worry about Wesley and Malen's fitness, reporting that both have continued training separately from the main group.

Lorenzo Pellegrini is available again and in contention to start in the attack alongside Donyell Malen and Paulo Dybala for Roma's match against Como, a fixture that could reinforce the club's title ambitions. Gasperini now has the midfielder fully recovered after positive signs during training on 6 October. Pellegrini holds an advantage over Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora because he is the only one of the three who has had no international commitments; Soulé will return just 48 hours before the Como match following Argentina's post-Messi celebration fixture, while Mora returns to Rome on 7 October afternoon after Under-21 duty. Pellegrini's availability also offers tactical flexibility to support a midfield left without Bryan Cristante. The rotation between the three attacking midfielders will be necessary given Roma's fixture schedule—Real Madrid (managed by Mourinho) and Genoa (managed by De Rossi) will arrive at the Olimpico within four days. Pellegrini's return, awaited since April following injury and a protracted contract dispute, represents a significant moment. For two months he was a free agent but chose to honour his commitment to Gasperini, halve his salary and reject offers from Juventus and Besiktas to remain in the capital. In defence, Evan N'Dicka and Leonardo Balerdi compete for a place, while Marten de Roon will substitute for Cristante in midfield.

Lionel Messi will start for Argentina in a friendly against Benin at 1 a.m. Italian time on the morning of 7 October, marking his final appearance for the national team. Three Roma players—Leonardo Balerdi, Matías Soulé and Santiago Castro—will begin the match on the bench but are ready to come on as substitutes. The trio will witness a historic moment in world football from close proximity, present for what will be Messi's last game in the Albiceleste shirt.

Roma have resumed training at Trigoria following the international break, with Donyell Malen and Wesley working partially with the group. Most players involved with their national teams have returned, with only Manu Koné, Rodrigo Mora, and Argentines Leonardo Balerdi, Matías Soulé and Santiago Castro still away. Gasperini is preparing Roma for a trip to Como while pursuing his 300th Serie A victory. The coach is studying Como's defensive approach, paying particular attention to defender Ramon and Diao, who have the potential to disrupt Roma's rhythm. Como manager Fabregas faces concerns over an injury to Kean, while Argentina midfielder Nico Paz is returning from international duty and will travel with his Giallorossi teammates, which could affect his form. On the squad's commitment, Gasperini confirmed: "Dybala chose to stay."

Matías Soulé, Leonardo Balerdi and Santiago Castro will arrive back in Rome on Thursday after three weeks away with Argentina, leaving head coach Gian Piero Gasperini just one day to assess their fitness before the match against Como. The trio will not train on Thursday, needing time to recover from a 13–14 hour transatlantic flight and adjust to the time difference after an extended spell away from the club. Friday's training session will be Gasperini's first opportunity to evaluate their condition on the pitch—a crucial window given the toll a long absence across the Atlantic can take both physically and mentally. With so little preparation time, the initial expectation is that all three may start on the bench. Castro was already considered a candidate for such a role, though Soulé and Balerdi present greater uncertainty about their readiness. Rodrigo Mora or Lorenzo Pellegrini could replace Soulé in the squad, while Evan N'Dicka remains the most natural solution in defence. However, a match lasts 90 minutes, and all three Argentine players retain the capacity to become decisive from the bench—a possibility Gasperini clearly understands. The timeline is tight: the players depart Argentina following a farewell celebration linked to Lionel Messi, then face the long journey home and the immediate challenge of reintegration ahead of the Como fixture.