Pellegrini awaits contract signature as medical checks continue in Finland

Gian Piero Gasperini is preparing to rotate his squad heavily ahead of matches against Torino and Inter, with Koné, Dybala, Malen and Mancini among those likely to be rested. Castro, Mora, Soulé, Pisilli and De Roon are expected to see more action as Roma look to preserve their key players and test the depth of the squad while addressing defensive issues that have emerged in recent fixtures. Salah-Eddine's departure to Panathinaikos is confirmed. The left-back moves on a loan deal with a right of redemption and underwent medical tests in Athens today to complete the transfer. Separately, defender Oosterwolde has reopened the possibility of joining Roma. An achilles tendon operation had scuppered a move earlier this summer, but Oosterwolde met with Roma officials in Istanbul and signalled his willingness to return. "I hope to come back to Roma in the coming months," he said. The club remains interested with D'Amico continuing to monitor developments. Gasperini values Oosterwolde's versatility, and his recovery from surgery will be key to determining whether Roma can revive the deal as early as January. Carina told Radio Radio: "I've read plenty of criticism of Roma. In 30 years doing this job I'd never known a situation where I couldn't speak to my colleague—there was an absurd broadcast an hour and a half before the match and 30 minutes after. Given where it was played, Roma put in a more than decent performance: they dominated the first half. From the stadium, I had the sense that Roma wouldn't lose it, and could even have won it." Pruzzo added: "I saw a good Roma. What I keep thinking is that I have many doubts about whether the squad is qualitatively as strong as people say: I don't have that perception. In the first half they played like last season, but in the second, when you need to change, there isn't the same level. I think Castro is Roma's best option off the bench. Then Molina comes on and does the same thing as Rensch, and Mora yesterday did nothing."

Anass Salah-Eddine has left AS Roma to join Greek club Panathinaikos on loan with a purchase option worth €7 million plus €1 million in add-ons. The deal was confirmed on 12 September 2026, with the left back undergoing medical examinations in Athens the same day. The 25-year-old Moroccan defender has fallen out of favour under Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini and sought a move to secure regular playing time. Roma and Panathinaikos had been in advanced talks over the transfer, with the loan structure agreed as a conditional obligation to buy. The move also saw backing from Azzedine Ounahi, Salah-Eddine's Morocco teammate, while Olympiacos had also pursued the player. Transfer specialist Gianluca Di Marzio and Sky Sport reported that discussions between the two clubs reached an advanced stage before the deal was finalised. Fabrizio Romano confirmed the agreement with a verbal accord struck and medical arrangements locked in place. The buy clause structure was finalised at €7m plus €1m add-ons, with the option to make the transfer permanent at the conclusion of the loan spell. Salah-Eddine's departure marks his exit from Roma's squad after being deemed surplus to requirements by Gasperini's technical project. The player moves to the Super League Greece seeking greater opportunities for competitive action.

Salah-Eddine is leaving Roma to join Greek club Panathinaikos on a loan deal with a right of redemption. The full-back underwent medical tests in Athens and signed his contract today. He had rejected approaches from Olympiacos in August and turned down West Ham's offer in the closing days of the transfer window. Head coach Gasperini confirmed last week that Salah-Eddine had been offered several moves he declined and plays no part in Roma's plans. The decision to part ways came despite Wesley not arriving as a replacement from the transfer market. Gasperini said: "Salah-Eddine has had quite a few opportunities that he refused. As far as Roma is concerned, I have already made my choices and he does not feature in Roma's plans."

Roma travel to Turin on Monday to face Torino, with encouraging news from the medical department. Manu Koné, who left the Istanbul match with knee discomfort, did not require scans and will be managed day by day; his inclusion in the squad for Monday is very likely, though he is expected to start on the bench. With Torino followed by an Inter fixture just five days later, Gasperini is preparing to rotate more heavily across the squad. Wesley, not yet fully recovered from ankle problems, could give way to Rensch or Molina, who is seeking his first start. The defence faces changes too: Mancini is struggling for form and faces competition from Balerdi, who has impressed in recent outings, and Ghilardi. Up front, Santiago Castro is pushing for a starting role, but a rotation with Malen appears more likely at present. Cristante is the only guaranteed starter in midfield, with Pisilli or De Roon potential partners alongside him. There is also positive news on the horizon: Lorenzo Pellegrini could return to the squad list, giving the coach more tactical options.

Lorenzo Pellegrini is nearing his first-team return after 157 days out. The Roma midfielder has resumed full training with the squad following a lengthy recovery from a muscle injury and subsequent cleaning procedure on the scar tissue of his right thigh hamstring tendon. He is drawing close to his first squad selection of the season, with Gasperini now deciding when to formally bring him back into contention. The Corriere dello Sport suggests Pellegrini could be available as early as Monday's match against Torino, potentially earning his first minutes of the campaign. La Repubblica takes a more cautious view, targeting Roma–Inter on 19 September as the realistic return fixture. Gasperini pushed for Pellegrini's retention despite the injury, confident in his technical qualities and his standing within the dressing room. His reintegration will necessarily be gradual after such a long absence, but he will provide additional depth in a phase of the season when matches and squad rotation are set to increase. Much will depend on how Pellegrini responds in training over the coming days. His recovery unfolded without rushing the process over the summer break.

Roma travel to Torino on Monday in pursuit of a fourth consecutive league victory, with Manu Koné expected to be available despite a knee complaint that bothered him during the midweek Champions League match at Fenerbahçe. The midfielder requested a change during that fixture, citing pain in the knee—a problem he has carried since summer—but the discomfort vanished after his return to the capital, making further medical tests unnecessary. Gasperini will use today's training session to assess Koné's readiness and also to determine whether Lorenzo Pellegrini can be included in the squad. With the Inter match looming as Roma's next big test, Gasperini faces decisions across the back line and midfield. Leonardo Balerdi, on loan from Marseille, has impressed in brief outings against Atalanta and Fenerbahçe, consistently seeking to win the ball early—a hallmark of Gasperini's tactical approach. Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso form the spine of Roma's defence, though Mancini appeared short of breath during the Istanbul match and was substituted in the second half. Devyne Rensch's surprise return in the Champions League has left Emanuele Lulli and Nahuel Molina competing for the right-back position. In midfield, with Koné below his best, Niccolò Pisilli is pushing for a more prominent role, one he will find over the course of the season.

Roma's opening week in the Champions League has delivered both significant encouragement and a small warning signal. The club's comeback victory against Atalanta—from 1–0 down to a 2–1 win in four minutes—and a draw away to Fenerbahce have created a picture of a squad with considerable depth and psychological resilience, but also a pattern worth monitoring in the matches ahead. Bryan Cristante emerged as the week's standout performer and the clearest evidence of Roma's evolution under Gasperini. Against Fenerbahce, Cristante scored the opening goal and touched the ball 112 times, completing 91 passes and playing 24 balls into the final third. His rise from useful squad member to gravitational centre of the team's balance, personality and order has become impossible to ignore. The bench itself proved the most interesting development of the week. When Gasperini made changes against Atalanta, the team did not lose force but gained it. Nahuel Molina increased the team's thrust down the flank, Santiago Castro signalled he is ready to make an impact, and Matías Soulé came off the bench to decide the match. Leonardo Balerdi also impressed, intent on climbing the manager's hierarchy. Roma's refusal to accept defeat completed the narrative: at 89 minutes against Atalanta, trailing 1–0, the side won 2–1 in the next four minutes through Mario Hermoso and Soulé. That capacity to keep playing and pushing until the final second is among the week's best signals. Two consecutive early-second-half goals, however, have begun to form a pattern. Ederson scored at 47 minutes in Roma's win over Atalanta; Brown equalised at 48 minutes in Fenerbahce's match against Roma. Gasperini himself acknowledged after Istanbul: "they are two clues." It does not necessarily signal a structural problem, but Roma has taken a few minutes too long to fully switch back on after the interval in both games. Donyell Malen's dip comes not from genuine crisis but from unrealistic expectations. He began the season in exaggerated form—multiple goals, a barrage of them, and the sense that every touch would create a chance. Two scoreless matches were enough to shift perception, though he supplied an assist for Cristante against Fenerbahce. At Istanbul he appeared less brilliant and dominant than in his opening displays. Gianluca Mancini and Wesley, meanwhile, remain undisputed pillars but have not yet shown their best form. Mancini has appeared less dominant and assured than his standard, while Wesley must rediscover the continuity, brilliance and ability to devastate the flank that had made him among Roma's most incisive players. No alarm: simply two important engines not yet running at full revs.

Radio pundits dissected Roma's recent performances in commentary collected by Romanews.eu, with particular focus on individual players and the squad's depth in key areas. Carina highlighted criticism of Roma as excessive, noting that in 30 years of broadcasting he had rarely been unable to speak with colleagues—disrupted by an unusually long pre-match show of an hour and a half before kickoff and 30 minutes after. He praised Roma's first-half display as dominant, saying from the stadium he had the sense Roma would not lose and could even win. However, he identified a pattern of defensive lapses: "Mancini has made errors in three matches: Lecce, Atalanta and Fenerbahce. There are some interpreters who at the moment are not doing well—for example, Mancini and Wesley." He noted Atalanta and Fenerbahce have both played with tight lines to double-mark Malen, a problem requiring tactical adjustment. Carina expected three changes for Monday's fixture, anticipating Balerdi might play and raising doubt about whether Koné would be risked after requesting a change mid-match. He observed Roma is short in midfield: "Koné came out and Pisilli came in, but he is a midfielder. De Roon is the substitute for Cristante. To me something is missing there." Pruzzo took a more critical view of squad quality, stating: "I have many doubts about the fact that the squad is qualitatively strong as one hears said—I don't have this perception." He praised Roma's first-half football but saw a dip in the second half when tactical changes were required. Pruzzo identified Castro as Roma's best option from the bench and believed the forward needed to unlock his potential. "The next one could be the right occasion," Pruzzo said. "It is inevitable that Castro has the need to score." He questioned other signings, noting Molina replicates Rensch's role and Mora contributed little in the most recent match.

Roma travel to Turin on Monday to face Torino, with encouraging news from the medical department. Manu Koné, who left the Istanbul match with knee discomfort, did not require scans and will be managed day by day; his inclusion in the squad for Monday is very likely, though he is expected to start on the bench. With Torino followed by an Inter fixture just five days later, Gasperini is preparing to rotate more heavily across the squad. Wesley, not yet fully recovered from ankle problems, could give way to Rensch or Molina, who is seeking his first start. The defence faces changes too: Mancini is struggling for form and faces competition from Balerdi, who has impressed in recent outings, and Ghilardi. Up front, Santiago Castro is pushing for a starting role, but a rotation with Malen appears more likely at present. Cristante is the only guaranteed starter in midfield, with Pisilli or De Roon potential partners alongside him. There is also positive news on the horizon: Lorenzo Pellegrini could return to the squad list, giving the coach more tactical options.

Gian Piero Gasperini has reshaped AS Roma's environment in just fourteen months, turning a tense setting into a serene one where the squad operates with confidence and compactness. The transformation is evident in the club's strong start to the season: 9 points from the first three Serie A matches and a significant draw secured at Fenerbahce in Istanbul in the Champions League. Playing under enormous pressure in an intense atmosphere, Roma demonstrated maturity by suffering intelligently, maintaining unity, and defending a valuable result. The match showcased the identity Gasperini is constructing—high pressing, intensity, and directness. The squad showed some fatigue early in the second half, a sign the team is still under development, but the coach can rely on a core of key leaders including Svilar, Dybala, N'Dicka, Cristante, Koné and Malen, supported by an increasingly dependable bench featuring Balerdi, Pisilli and other squad members. Fans have grasped and appreciated this direction. Roma knows when to push—as demonstrated against Atalanta at the Olimpico—and when to defend with intelligence, as in Turkey. The giallorossi approach their next challenges against Torino and Inter with enthusiasm and a fresh sense of purpose, ready to test their ambitions further.

Mile Svilar has emerged as Roma's one constant as Gasperini navigates fresh squad questions this season. In Roma's Champions League debut yesterday against Fenerbahce, Svilar was decisive in both the first half and the second period when the Roma defence began to struggle, anchoring a side that had started the league campaign impeccably and shown courage in Europe. While goals from Malen and performances from Dybala, Mora and Soulé have drawn attention in attack, Svilar's quality between the posts has been overshadowed—though he maintains an 87.5% save percentage in Serie A. Gasperini's expansive style, particularly in Europe, exposes Roma's defence to counterattacks and one-on-one situations where Svilar's role becomes critical. Qualification to the knockout stages will depend significantly on his performance. Roma's Champions League campaign this season will pit Svilar against the world's best forwards, a challenge he has prepared for since signing a renewal. His dramatic intervention in the penalty shootout against Feyenoord entered Roma folklore, and the Curva Sud has repeatedly called for his contract extension—unsurprising given his commitment to the club. Svilar marked his return to European competition after nine years by posting on social media: "Grateful to be back playing in the Champions League after 9 years, and even more special to do it with this shirt. Forza Magica Roma!!!" He last played in the competition as an 18-year-old with Benfica. Among all the uncertainties Gasperini will face this season, Svilar remains the pillar of this squad.

Roma's opening Champions League match in Istanbul provided a revealing examination of individual readiness at the competition's highest level, exposing both natural fit and shortcomings that Serie A sometimes masks. Manu Koné emerged as the clearest success story. Until a knee injury forced his substitution at the 52nd minute, he appeared to raise his game as the match intensified, showing pressure, physical duels, ball protection and the ability to break the first press. Donyell Malen proved similarly suited to matches where chances are limited and the capacity to attack space becomes decisive. Mile Svilar's performance raised only the question of how far he can progress in the competition. Paulo Dybala demonstrated that while understanding how to play at this level has never been his problem, availability remains the constraint. When his physical condition allows, the Champions League remains his natural habitat: he takes possession facing forward, makes precise decisions, and creates space where others see none. Gianluca Mancini's European credentials are not in doubt, but Istanbul confirmed he appears less sharp and reactive than his usual standard. His replacement by Leonardo Balerdi sharpened the contrast; the Argentine entered immediately into the match's intensity, bringing aggression and intensity. Nahuel Molina passed a significant test, showing he can handle the demands placed on full-backs across both phases. Wesley posed a tactical question: at left-back with his weaker foot, Fenerbahçe systematically closed his inside corridor, forcing him onto the byline with his left foot and making him more predictable. Rodrigo Mora, frequently called upon by Gian Piero Gasperini, revealed that the Champions League is also a physical examination. Pressed, challenged and confined to tight spaces, he could not impose himself as he knows he can. Matías Soulé discovered that talent must be paired with better decision-making as margins shrink. Dybala, Koné, Malen and Svilar appear ready for this dimension; Balerdi entered with force and Molina withstood the impact. Mancini must rediscover his sharpness, Wesley needs a tactical solution, and Mora requires the physical tools to express his talent at this level.