Pisilli rules out Roma departure and hopes Pellegrini renews

Gian Piero Gasperini has a full squad to select from as Roma prepare for their upcoming match against Inter, with Mario Hermoso back available after injury. The head coach spent time on personal grooming today, getting a new haircut in the lead-up to what is already shaping up as a heavyweight fixture worth far more than three points. A photo shared by his barber on social media quickly circulated among Roma fans. Gasperini will make his final selection decisions in the coming hours. His barber, Gennaro, posted about the visit: "When the boss comes by, there's not much to say. Even the details make the difference. See you next time."

Roma have no injury concerns over Mario Hermoso ahead of Saturday's big match against Inter, with the defender set to be available for Gasperini to deploy against Chivu's attack. Hermoso will line up alongside Gianluca Mancini, with Leonardo Balerdi candidating for a starting spot after impressing in early appearances and set to compete with Evan N'Dicka for the centre-back role in the coming days. Gasperini is preparing multiple tactical options for the fixture. Emanuele Lulli could feature to counter Dimarco's threat, while Niccolò Pisilli might operate in a more advanced role on the trequarti, and Nahuel Molina could be deployed on the left wing. In a wide-ranging interview, the Roma head coach addressed the scudetto ambition, saying: "It is not this way of raising the bar. The bar is not raised by setting more or less achievable objectives: it is raised by improving every day, working on ourselves through this variety of players with all their own characteristics, trying to do better each time. Objectives can only be discussed after about twenty matches."

Gian Piero Gasperini has urged Roma to focus on daily improvement rather than chase trophy talk after a perfect start to the season. Speaking to Sky Sport ahead of the Inter fixture, the coach said: "I hoped for it more than I expected it. Today we are a squad that knows itself better than at the start of last season and we have already assimilated many things." On title ambitions, he was emphatic: "The bar does not rise by setting objectives, but by improving every day. You can only talk of targets after around twenty matches." Gasperini praised Leonardo Balerdi's immediate impact as a professional "ready to contribute straight away" and highlighted the group's balance: "The young players bring freshness, the more experienced are an example every day. It is a squad that feeds itself." Mario Hermoso trained fully with the group on 17 September after undergoing differentiated work the previous day for a mild ankle contusion, and is on course to be available for the match against Inter on Saturday 19 September at 18:00 at the Stadio Olimpico. Gasperini spoke of upcoming fixtures against Inter, Como and Real Madrid, saying: "We have earned the chance to face these teams. They will be important matches to understand what we are truly capable of." Rodrigo Mora, who arrived from Porto in the summer, has already won over supporters. The Portuguese midfielder scored his first Serie A goal against Lecce and told Sky Sport of his reasons for joining: "Roma is a very prestigious club and the style of play it proposes was one of the main reasons why I chose to come. Playing in the Champions League is an important step for my career." On his relationship with Gasperini, Mora added: "He is a very demanding coach with the whole squad, but that pushes you to grow every day." Reflecting on his first goal in giallorosso colours, he said: "It was a special moment. I like to score, but my aim is above all to help the team with goals, assists and everything needed to win."

Roma have no injury concerns over Mario Hermoso ahead of Saturday's big match against Inter, with the defender set to be available for Gasperini to deploy against Chivu's attack. Hermoso will line up alongside Gianluca Mancini, with Leonardo Balerdi candidating for a starting spot after impressing in early appearances and set to compete with Evan N'Dicka for the centre-back role in the coming days. Gasperini is preparing multiple tactical options for the fixture. Emanuele Lulli could feature to counter Dimarco's threat, while Niccolò Pisilli might operate in a more advanced role on the trequarti, and Nahuel Molina could be deployed on the left wing. In a wide-ranging interview, the Roma head coach addressed the scudetto ambition, saying: "It is not this way of raising the bar. The bar is not raised by setting more or less achievable objectives: it is raised by improving every day, working on ourselves through this variety of players with all their own characteristics, trying to do better each time. Objectives can only be discussed after about twenty matches."

Leonardo Balerdi has become the focal point of Roma's preparation for Saturday's clash with Inter at the Olimpico after an impressive display on Monday against Torino in place of Evan N'Dicka. His convincing performance prompted Gasperini to view the Argentine defender as a potential starter against the Serie A champions, a promotion that has raised competitive intensity across the defence and the wider squad. Gasperini's team selection will be shaped by who delivers the strongest performances in training at Trigoria: those who maintain full commitment and maximum effort will earn starting places. The likely starting formation will closely resemble the strongest XI fielded last season, built around the established core players. The returning absentees from Monday—N'Dicka, Wesley, and Manu Koné—are set to come back into contention. The intriguing tactical question centres on the left-back slot, where teenage defender Emanuele Lulli has emerged as the focus of recent debate. Lulli's physical test results place him ahead of Nahuel Molina, making him the favourite to start, provided Gasperini prioritises the pace and pressing strength needed to contain Inter's left-side playmaker Dimarco. A third option exists: Wesley deployed on the right with Molina on the left, a setup already tested in training. Elsewhere, Mario Hermoso will mark Nicolò Barella, while Niccolò Pisilli is warming up for a potential late-match impact.

Gian Piero Gasperini has refused to set title ambitions after Roma's opening four consecutive victories, insisting that realistic objectives can only be discussed after roughly 20 matches. Speaking to Sky Sport Insider, the coach acknowledged the city's dreams but grounded expectations in reality: "The reality is that objectives can be discussed only after about twenty matches. Setting them after four or five makes no sense. We certainly have confidence, certainly we want to be high in the table, but at this moment this is the only concrete objective." Gasperini defended his squad's trajectory by noting that Roma began the season with significant advantages over last year's opener. "We had the conviction of having good preparation behind us, and a squad that started advantaged compared to the beginning of last season: we have been together longer, we know each other better, many things we have already assimilated," he said. He highlighted younger players including Emanuele Lulli, Niccolò Pisilli and Daniele Ghilardi, praising their hunger and willingness to learn. On Leonardo Balerdi's impact, Gasperini noted the Argentine defender had delivered "immediately positive" form despite completing only partial preparation with the club, drawing a comparison to Franco Baresi for his recovery speed, intensity in challenges, and composure in building play. Gasperini outlined the complementary nature of Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen: "Their characteristics fit together well. Dybala has the capacity to read Malen's runs even when it seems he is not looking at him, and the quality with which he serves him is remarkable. Malen for his part has an extraordinary capacity to convert into goals actions that seem simple but are not. It is a combination that works." He reflected on Roma's return to the Champions League after seven years, describing it as not assured: "The Champions League forces you to overcome obstacles, gives you the opportunity to play against Europe's best teams, puts you against a more difficult and complicated football from which you can grow." When asked to identify flaws, Gasperini said: "The big defects we have eliminated." He credited the unity among environment, squad, supporters and the board as the club's greatest strength, and acknowledged the broader social environment's influence on results as deeply positive.

Gianluca Mancini rejected Inter's advances this summer and signed a contract renewal with Roma despite being offered more lucrative terms elsewhere. The defender's agent Giuseppe Riso, as Corriere dello Sport reported, actively pushed for a move to Milan, where Chivu was prepared to welcome him, but Mancini showed no hesitation about remaining in the capital despite childhood admiration for Inter's side under Materazzi. Mancini chose to extend his deal on reduced financial terms. His fixed salary fell from €2.5 million in the previous season, and he accepted a structure built around performance bonuses and seasonal objectives shared with Paulo Dybala, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Bryan Cristante. The decision reinforces Roma's commitment to players willing to align compensation with team success. The 1996-born defender now aims to increase his goal tally against Inter, where he has already scored four times. Three of those goals came in a Roma shirt, though only one has so far yielded points for his side.

Gianluca Mancini turned down Inter's advances this summer despite the Milan club offering him higher wages, choosing instead to sign a contract renewal with Roma on revised terms. His agent Giuseppe Riso pushed for the move to Inter, where Chivu was ready to welcome him, but Mancini had no doubts about staying at the capital club despite childhood fondness for Materazzi's Inter. Mancini agreed fresh terms at lower figures than his previous salary. His fixed wage dropped from €2.5 million a season ago. The new deal follows the structure accepted by Dybala, Pellegrini and Cristante: players receive a base salary plus performance bonuses tied to appearances and the squad's seasonal objectives. The renewal underscores Roma's commitment to retaining a cornerstone defender while adapting to the club's financial framework. The 1996-born defender has now set his sights on increasing his goal tally against Inter. He already has four goals to his name, three wearing Roma's shirt but only one that delivered points so far.

Roma won 2–0 away at Torino with goals from Malen and Pisilli to remain level on points with Inter at the Serie A summit, both teams on four victories from their opening four matches. The squad returned to training at Trigoria this morning ahead of Saturday's meeting at the Stadio Olimpico against Inter, who sit joint-top with a perfect record. Lorenzo Pellegrini is available after recovering from injury and is in contention to make his seasonal debut. Inter's preparations have been hampered by injury setbacks. Midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu will miss Saturday's fixture after suffering a muscular strain of the right adductor, with Inter confirming: "Hakan Calhanoglu underwent instrumental examinations this morning which revealed a muscle strain of the right adductor. His condition will be assessed in the coming days." Defender John Stones, who departed yesterday during his competitive debut with injury, is also a doubt; his status will be monitored day by day until the match. John Galantic made his first appearance at a Lega Serie A assembly as Roma's new chief executive, sitting in on discussions regarding international broadcasting rights. The gathering featured presentations from league chief executive Luigi De Siervo and JP Morgan adviser on investment fund interest and proposals. Galantic told reporters on the sidelines: "It was a first meeting, all good." No clear consensus has emerged among clubs, who have yet to examine the specific financial proposals in detail. Former Roma striker Roberto Pruzzo praised the team's performance against Torino on Radio Radio: "I liked Roma: in the first half-hour it found solutions, exploited opponents' errors. Malen is too decisive and too dangerous, Dybala showed he is in good condition." Analyst Stefano Carina added: "Roma seems to me to have something more even compared to rivals, even Inter, who seem to have some injury problems, especially in defence. Roma instead seems well set, alongside Como. Inter don't have their attackers anywhere else in Italy: Lautaro didn't play yesterday and nobody noticed, but they have problems that Roma and Como don't have."