Mora impresses with Portugal U21 as attacking midfielder, but role question marks remain for Roma

Gianluca Mancini will not travel with Italy for their fixture against Turkey, with national team coach Roberto Mancini deciding to leave ten players at the Coverciano training centre to continue work there. Mancini joins Ahanor, Barella, Coppola, Inacio, Kouadio, Maldini, Pessina, Ricci and Zoma in staying behind. The decision reflects uncertainty over Mancini's starting place in Italy's defensive line. Coach Roberto Mancini is considering substantial changes to the back four following matches against Belgium, Turkey and France, with Di Lorenzo, Mancini and Coppola potentially replaced by Kayode, Scalvini and Bastoni, the latter returning from suspension. Back at Roma, the fixture list after the international break presents a demanding challenge: seven matches in 23 days beginning with the away trip to Como, followed by Real Madrid, Genoa, Slovan Bratislava, Napoli, Cagliari and Udinese. This run will test both Roma's ambitions and the depth of Gasperini's squad. Roma's trip to Bologna on 4 December is under observation by the ONMS owing to a Virtus Bologna Euroliga match against Partizan Belgrade scheduled the same day; the proximity of the basketball arena and the Dall'Ara stadium, just over 2 kilometres apart, raises concerns about contact between supporter groups, though a final decision will come later. The trip to Como faces no such issues.

Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina want to attend a farewell match for Lionel Messi with Argentina on 6 October, but the timing poses a logistical and sporting problem for Roma. The event is scheduled for 22:00 in Argentina, and factoring in travel, time zones and recovery, both players would not be available until 8 October. Roma face Como three days later on 11 October at 12:30 in a crucial fixture for the top of the league that also opens a demanding run of consecutive Serie A and Champions League matches. The question of whether the pair should travel has become one of the most delicate issues during Roma's current international break. Reports differ on where the resistance lies. According to Il Messaggero, head coach Gian Piero Gasperini gave approval for Dybala and Molina to depart, recognising the special significance of the occasion for two players who won the 2022 World Cup with Messi. However, Corriere dello Sport reports that the Friedkin family themselves have applied the brakes, judging the cost in fatigue, travel and recovery too high ahead of such an important match. No final decision has been made. The situation remains open, though the lean of opinion is currently towards preventing the trip. A definitive resolution is expected on Tuesday when training resumes at Trigoria, when the club, Gasperini and the players must weigh sporting demands against personal wishes and reach a shared conclusion. Meanwhile, other Argentina internationals will attend the Messi event regardless. Santiago Castro, Matías Soulé and Leonardo Balerdi are all on regular national team duty and will participate in the farewell ceremony, meaning they will be among the last national team players to return to Rome ahead of the Como fixture.

Gianluca Mancini will not travel with Italy for tomorrow's Nations League match against Turkey in Bursa, as coach Roberto Mancini has excluded ten players from the squad to avoid the costly journey. The fixture kicks off at 20:45 CET at the Atatürk Spor Kompleksi and follows Italy's defeat to Belgium at the Olimpico on Friday. Roma defender Gianluca Mancini is among those held back, though fellow Roma squad member Daniele Ghilardi has been included in the travelling party. The ten excluded players will undertake a tailored training programme at the Italian Football Federation's technical centre in Coverciano instead. Italy's next fixture after Turkey is a match in Paris against France, before the sides meet again in Bologna. The decision reflects Roberto Mancini's desire to manage preparation carefully and spare the full squad an arduous trip to Turkey. The FIGC issued an official statement explaining the arrangement: "With the objective of managing preparation best ahead of matches against France in Paris and Turkey again in Bologna, and not subjecting the whole squad to a demanding transfer to Turkey, coach Roberto Mancini has decided to organise a specific training programme at the Federal Technical Centre in Coverciano for Honest Ahanor, Nicolò Barella, Diego Coppola, Samuele Inacio, Eddy Kouadio, Daniel Maldini, Gianluca Mancini, Massimo Pessina, Samuele Ricci and Mohamed Alì Zoma, providing them with part of the technical and performance staff (Massimo Maccarone, Cristiano Lupatelli, Giulio Nuciari and Luca Bossi), as well as medical and physiotherapy support."

Lorenzo Pellegrini is set to end a six-month absence from Roma action, having recovered from a right thigh rectus femoris tendon injury that required surgery and forced him to miss 12 matches across the end of last season and the start of the 2026-27 campaign. The captain's last appearance came on 10 April against Pisa. He has completed his rehabilitation programme and head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has made clear he considers Pellegrini a fundamental piece, pushing decisively for him to remain in the squad. Gasperini has used Matías Soulé and young midfielder Rodrigo Mora in the left attacking midfield role without establishing a clear starter, leaving an opening for Pellegrini to claim the position as his own. The 30-year-old will target a starting berth on the left of the attack in the upcoming match against Como. His return offers Roma an experienced solution for the forward line and gives Pellegrini the chance to establish himself in the role at least until the transfer window reopens in January, when sporting director Tony D'Amico may explore the market for a classic right-footed left-side playmaker. Pellegrini's motivation has been evident: he posted a message from Trigoria training that read, "True happiness is being at peace with who you are." The captain's recuperation comes as a significant lift for Roma as the season progresses.

Rodrigo Mora delivered a decisive assist and played the best football of his international appearance for Portugal Under 21 in Friday's 2–1 defeat to Bulgaria, earning man-of-the-match honours despite the loss. The performance will encourage Gasperini, who has invested heavily in the midfielder. For Roma, however, the question is not about Mora's quality but where he fits. In national team football, Mora operates as a central attacking midfielder behind the striker Varela in a 4-2-3-1 formation—a role that appears natural to him. Gasperini deploys that system only sporadically at Roma, creating a tactical puzzle the club must solve. The next phase will require both player and coach to find common ground, with opportunities to work through the position issue set to arise when the international break ends and Roma resume their season.

Lorenzo Pellegrini is fit again and will become a major reinforcement for Gian Piero Gasperini when Roma resume after the international break. The midfielder has completed his recovery from a right thigh strain that sidelined him since 10 April, when Roma played Pisa—his last match. The injury forced him to undergo surgery and miss 12 matches in total. At Como, Pellegrini is expected to return to the starting lineup after six months away. Gasperini does not yet have a settled starter on the left of the attacking midfield, with Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora alternating in the role. Pellegrini is the real candidate to establish himself as the regular occupant of that position.