Pellegrini absent from training camp as contract renewal reaches final stages

Atalanta are preparing to tie down striker Gianluca Scamacca with a contract extension to 2030, after he remained with the Bergamo club despite Roma's interest this summer. Head coach Gasperini had wanted to reunite with Scamacca at Roma, where he could have filled the role of backup to Donyell Malen. Atalanta never seriously considered selling him, viewing him as a cornerstone of their attacking unit. The 26-year-old has established himself as essential to the Bergamo side's attacking plans. According to reports, Atalanta are now moving to protect their investment and secure his future by extending his current deal, with the new contract set to run until 2030.

Endrick has emerged as a target for Roma in the January transfer window, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini identifying the Brazilian forward as a suitable reinforcement for the attacking department. The player was close to joining Roma in the summer, but the move fell through because the 2006-born attacker was committed to proving himself at Real Madrid under Mourinho, who appeared ready to give him opportunities. With limited appearances so far this season, speculation over a potential departure has resurfaced. However, Endrick's representatives have moved to dampen the Roma interest. Alan Redmond, executive vice-president and Global Head of Football at Roc Nation Sports International, the agency representing the forward, has insisted the player remains focused on Madrid. There were multiple clubs from various countries interested in Endrick over the summer, but his determination has never wavered. Redmond said: "In the summer there were many clubs from different countries interested in him. His idea has always been to stay in Madrid. I am convinced that when he gets the opportunity he will score many goals. We will see what happens in the future, honestly I think he will stay at Real for a long time."

Endrick's next move remains unclear after the Brazilian forward failed to secure playing time at Real Madrid, despite José Mourinho blocking his summer move to Roma. With the January transfer window approaching, Roma have joined AC Milan and foreign clubs including Lyon and Aston Villa in pursuing the 2006-born striker. Roc Nation Sports International, the agency representing Endrick, signalled little likelihood of a departure. Alan Redmond, vice-president and Global Head of Football at the agency, said: "In summer there were many clubs from different countries interested in him. His idea has always been to stay in Madrid. I am convinced that when he gets the opportunity he will score many goals. We'll see what happens in the future, honestly I think he will stay at Real for a long time." Redmond added that Endrick had multiple suitors last summer but remained set on continuing in Spain.

Roma drew 0–0 at Como on 12 October 2026 in a match that saw Donyell Malen sent off after only nine minutes of the second half for a hard challenge on Kaiki. The dismissal shaped the entire contest, forcing Roma into a defensive second half as Como pressed under Cesc Fabregas's increasingly aggressive setup. Pierluigi Gollini made the decisive saves to earn the point. The result was unexpected—La Gazzetta dello Sport noted that two attacking-minded coaches, Fabregas and Gasperini, produced the championship's first goalless draw of the season. Gasperini raised his fists at the final whistle, treating the away point like a victory on a ground that had cost Roma three consecutive defeats in recent league visits. The draw leaves Roma without a first-place finish, with SS Lazio now two positions ahead at the top. Roma's squad absorbed difficult news before the match: Mile Svilar's injury meant Gollini stepped in as the primary keeper, with the backup now ready for the Real Madrid fixture. Gasperini also recalled captain Lorenzo Pellegrini from injury—he marked his 350th appearance with a shot that hit the post. Marten de Roon, given up for lost elsewhere, covered the most ground in the side, running 11.6 km in place of the injured Bryan Cristante. Paulo Dybala played the entire match, performing with both technical grace and defensive work rate. Malen's suspension will rule him out of the upcoming visit to Napoli, adding to Roma's challenge ahead.

Roma returned from Como without a win but with a draw that carried greater significance than the single point on the surface. The 0-0 at the Sinigaglia reflected a squad showing greater depth, maturity and resilience than it had displayed months earlier, particularly after playing nearly forty minutes with ten men. The first half saw both sides play at high tempo, with Roma creating the clearest chances. Paulo Dybala had the most obvious opening at the sixth minute, receiving the ball on his left inside the box, but his shot was weak and central, handed straight to the goalkeeper. Lorenzo Pellegrini struck the post shortly after, and Donyell Malen enjoyed another promising position following excellent control in depth. Roma had played an authoritative first half despite arriving without two key regulars, Mile Svilar and Bryan Cristante. Their replacements proved decisive: Pierluigi Gollini, back as a Serie A starter after more than two years, showed security, personality and sharp reactions, particularly on an early save from Nico Paz. Marten de Roon, making his first start for Roma, delivered a performance of substance, attention and tactical intelligence, playing his own game rather than attempting to replicate Cristante's role. The display demonstrated that Roma was developing squad depth capable of absorbing significant absences without losing immediate structure and competitiveness. The match transformed completely at the fifty-third minute when Malen was sent off for his intervention on Kaiki, leaving Roma to defend in numerical inferiority for nearly forty minutes. The red card appeared harsh: Malen arrived uncontrolled and the contact was dangerous, but he also touched the ball with no apparent intent to strike the opponent, and the move began after a clash for which Roma had appealed for a foul not given by referee Michael Fabbri. With the game changed, Roma's objective shifted from victory to avoiding defeat. Como dominated possession and pressed constantly, yet rarely converted control into clean chances. Roma dropped its defensive line, closed gaps, defended the area and accepted the burden of suffering. The contrast with the previous season stood out starkly: at this same venue in March, Roma had lost 2-1 in a comeback after Wesley's red card at the sixty-fourth minute. This time, facing identical adversity, the squad reacted entirely differently—maintaining cohesion, preserving distances and denying Como the emotional momentum to overwhelm them. Gollini and a focused defensive line completed the work. Como attacked at length but repeatedly struck a wall. Fabbri was forced to leave the field around the sixty-seventh minute through injury and was replaced by fourth official Simone Sozza. At the final whistle, head coach Gian Piero Gasperini celebrated on the bench—not the exultation of acceptance but the recognition of difficulty in extracting a point away from home while playing against one of the league's most organized teams in such circumstances. Roma had regrets: the chance to play the full match at equal strength, Dybala's opening opportunity after six minutes, Pellegrini's strike against the post. Yet the balance remained positive. After three weeks without league football and on the eve of a fixture run that could define the season, Roma showed character, depth and identity.

Roma drew 0–0 at Como on 12 October 2026, holding on to a point after Donyell Malen was sent off in the 53rd minute. Playing without Mile Svilar, Roma dominated the first half and created three clear chances: Paulo Dybala's effort from close range, a Lorenzo Pellegrini strike that hit the post, and Malen's attempt that went wide. Como responded with chances of their own, including a strike by Nico Paz that Pierluigi Gollini saved. The turning point came early in the second half when Malen was shown a direct red card for his challenge on Kaiki following a foul on him and a lost ball. Gollini made two further saves to keep Roma level as they defended with numerical disadvantage, with Dybala operating across the pitch in support of the back line. The draw keeps Roma in contention with Inter and Lazio in the Serie A table. Gasperini was visibly angered by the sending-off and spoke critically of the decision during his post-match comments. He said: "There is a repeated foul on Malen before the slip. There is no intention to do harm. It is useless to stop the frame, football is not made of frames. What counts is the concept, stop with frames because they falsify reality. From this year you manage to see truer football, let's not go back." He added that the result demonstrated Roma's character: "You must have a great heart and great fitness to play in this way at Como." Roma now prepare to face Real Madrid, with Gasperini noting that while José Mourinho left an extraordinary legacy at the club, "our is a different squad compared to his, one that is giving me great satisfaction."

Roma drew 0–0 at Como in a match defined by defensive solidity and late controversy. The result left Gasperini visibly satisfied, celebrating what he saw as exemplary rearguard work in a tense final phase at the Sinigaglia. The fixture marked Roma's first outing without Svilar; Gollini stepped in to keep a clean sheet. Dybala operated as both ball-carrier and offensive organiser, helping Roma nullify Como's threat. The match turned when Donyell Malen was sent off after being pulled back by Como's Ramon; that dismissal fundamentally reshaped the contest. Referee Fabbri was forced off injured at the 80th minute and replaced by Sozza, with ten minutes plus seven minutes of added time remaining. Roma's capacity to grind out a result away from home reflects progress under Gasperini's charge. The squad showed it could suffer and settle for a draw when circumstances demanded it. Exiting Sinigaglia unscathed holds weight in the current campaign. In the standings, Roma remain in contention but have ceded top place to Inter, who are attempting to pull clear; Lazio continue to surprise and stay within reach. Aleksandro Angeloni, writing in Il Messaggero, noted that Roma became monolithic in the final twenty minutes, with Como offering their most threatening play only during that same spell. The opening forty minutes proved less eventful. Gasperini displayed what was described as a spontaneous and almost cathartic display of joy at the final whistle. Wesley's red card in the previous season—also under referee Fabbri—had similarly influenced match dynamics. The parallel underscored how refereeing decisions and personnel shape outcomes when margins are narrow.

Roma drew 0–0 at Como on 12 October 2026 in a match that saw Donyell Malen sent off after only nine minutes of the second half for a hard challenge on Kaiki. The dismissal shaped the entire contest, forcing Roma into a defensive second half as Como pressed under Cesc Fabregas's increasingly aggressive setup. Pierluigi Gollini made the decisive saves to earn the point. The result was unexpected—La Gazzetta dello Sport noted that two attacking-minded coaches, Fabregas and Gasperini, produced the championship's first goalless draw of the season. Gasperini raised his fists at the final whistle, treating the away point like a victory on a ground that had cost Roma three consecutive defeats in recent league visits. The draw leaves Roma without a first-place finish, with SS Lazio now two positions ahead at the top. Roma's squad absorbed difficult news before the match: Mile Svilar's injury meant Gollini stepped in as the primary keeper, with the backup now ready for the Real Madrid fixture. Gasperini also recalled captain Lorenzo Pellegrini from injury—he marked his 350th appearance with a shot that hit the post. Marten de Roon, given up for lost elsewhere, covered the most ground in the side, running 11.6 km in place of the injured Bryan Cristante. Paulo Dybala played the entire match, performing with both technical grace and defensive work rate. Malen's suspension will rule him out of the upcoming visit to Napoli, adding to Roma's challenge ahead.

Roma returned from Como without a win but with a draw that carried greater significance than the single point on the surface. The 0-0 at the Sinigaglia reflected a squad showing greater depth, maturity and resilience than it had displayed months earlier, particularly after playing nearly forty minutes with ten men. The first half saw both sides play at high tempo, with Roma creating the clearest chances. Paulo Dybala had the most obvious opening at the sixth minute, receiving the ball on his left inside the box, but his shot was weak and central, handed straight to the goalkeeper. Lorenzo Pellegrini struck the post shortly after, and Donyell Malen enjoyed another promising position following excellent control in depth. Roma had played an authoritative first half despite arriving without two key regulars, Mile Svilar and Bryan Cristante. Their replacements proved decisive: Pierluigi Gollini, back as a Serie A starter after more than two years, showed security, personality and sharp reactions, particularly on an early save from Nico Paz. Marten de Roon, making his first start for Roma, delivered a performance of substance, attention and tactical intelligence, playing his own game rather than attempting to replicate Cristante's role. The display demonstrated that Roma was developing squad depth capable of absorbing significant absences without losing immediate structure and competitiveness. The match transformed completely at the fifty-third minute when Malen was sent off for his intervention on Kaiki, leaving Roma to defend in numerical inferiority for nearly forty minutes. The red card appeared harsh: Malen arrived uncontrolled and the contact was dangerous, but he also touched the ball with no apparent intent to strike the opponent, and the move began after a clash for which Roma had appealed for a foul not given by referee Michael Fabbri. With the game changed, Roma's objective shifted from victory to avoiding defeat. Como dominated possession and pressed constantly, yet rarely converted control into clean chances. Roma dropped its defensive line, closed gaps, defended the area and accepted the burden of suffering. The contrast with the previous season stood out starkly: at this same venue in March, Roma had lost 2-1 in a comeback after Wesley's red card at the sixty-fourth minute. This time, facing identical adversity, the squad reacted entirely differently—maintaining cohesion, preserving distances and denying Como the emotional momentum to overwhelm them. Gollini and a focused defensive line completed the work. Como attacked at length but repeatedly struck a wall. Fabbri was forced to leave the field around the sixty-seventh minute through injury and was replaced by fourth official Simone Sozza. At the final whistle, head coach Gian Piero Gasperini celebrated on the bench—not the exultation of acceptance but the recognition of difficulty in extracting a point away from home while playing against one of the league's most organized teams in such circumstances. Roma had regrets: the chance to play the full match at equal strength, Dybala's opening opportunity after six minutes, Pellegrini's strike against the post. Yet the balance remained positive. After three weeks without league football and on the eve of a fixture run that could define the season, Roma showed character, depth and identity.

Roma's full-backs have become a cornerstone of Gian Piero Gasperini's push to the top of Serie A, a marked shift from last season when they proved problematic. Wesley and Nahuel Molina are now among the club's key strengths, and both will start when Roma resume the league campaign against Como, where they will face manager Fabregas. The turnaround reflects Gasperini's tactical evolution since arriving at the club: in his first season, Wesley was the only defender fully convincing on the flanks, while Zeki Çelik had to make do elsewhere. Now the picture is entirely different. Gasperini has uncovered Emanuele Lulli in the course of the season, and Molina has gradually built his fitness, delivering quality and assists to Roma's attacking phase. For the Como fixture, Gasperini plans to deploy Molina on the right and Wesley on the left. The selection reflects not just Roma's attacking ambitions but also Gasperini's defensive strategy: by using two attacking full-backs, he aims to stretch Como's wide players—Baturina on one flank and Diao on the other—and occupy them throughout the match. Wesley, the more naturally offensive of the pair, will be tasked with driving forward and supporting the build-up play. Molina is likely to carry greater defensive responsibility, balancing his own contributions with the need to contain Como's threats on the wing.

Gian Piero Gasperini will deploy Nahuel Molina and Wesley as twin wingers in Roma's visit to Como, harnessing simultaneous attacking thrust down both flanks to counter Cesc Fabregas's side. With Molina fully recovered and Wesley in continued form, Roma will field two genuine wide operators capable of delivering width, high pressing and chances for the attacking midfielders. The tactical choice targets Como's possession-based play built around Baturina and Diao's unpredictability; Molina and Wesley are instructed to close down Como's wide references and attacking midfielders immediately, forcing them away from build-up play into long balls. In possession, the overlapping runs of Molina and Wesley will create lateral chains with Paulo Dybala and Matías Soulé, opening space for crosses and inside passes. Last season Roma's right wing relied solely on Wesley alongside the converted Zeki Çelik, but the club now possesses one of Serie A's strongest selections of wide midfielders. Gasperini's side has already created thirteen goalscoring actions from wide midfielders this season—second in the league behind Inter's fourteen. Wesley leads with seven goal contributions, followed by Molina on four and eighteen-year-old Emanuele Lulli, an academy product promoted to the first team, who has added two decisive contributions and demonstrates the depth of alternatives available on the flanks. A key feature of Gasperini's system is the tactical flexibility of both players. Wesley and Molina can interchange wings during matches without loss of effectiveness, alternating deep play and crosses with cuts inside on their stronger foot to link with the attacking midfielders. This constant switching prevents opposing defences from finding fixed reference points and allows Roma to vary attacking approaches throughout the game.

Zeki Çelik produced a costly error in Turkey's match against Italy in Bursa, clearing a corner kick directly to Alessandro Bastoni, who opened the scoring for the Azzurri. Italy dominated the fixture in a redemptive performance after losing to Belgium on Friday. Çelik's mistake was immediately seized upon by social media users, with Roma supporters among those criticising the defender's display. One Roma fan wrote: "La spazza Celik" (Çelik the sweeper), while others joked about whether a 'Çelik-cam' video would emerge—a reference to footage released by DAZN following Çelik's first friendly for Juventus. The Turkish international has endured a difficult start to his spell in Serie A, facing criticism not only from Roma fans but also from his country's supporters.