Pisilli to start at number 10; Dybala bids for starting role against Fiorentina in contest with Soulé

Manu Koné impressed for France in yesterday's 1–0 Nations League victory over Turkey, playing as a central midfielder in Zinedine Zidane's 4-3-3 formation alongside Rabiot and Cherki—a position outside his usual remit. The Roma midfielder delivered a strong performance that caught the attention of France's new head coach. Koné continues to be a key figure both at Roma and for the French national team. His ability to adapt tactically and maintain balance in an unfamiliar position has made him a valuable asset for club and country. Zidane commented on the display after the match: "Manu is not used to playing in that position, I wanted to see this side of him and he was very good in terms of balance." The midfielder's versatility and quality in execution have proven decisive performances for both the Giallorossi and France.

Roma's international contingent made an impact during the first round of matches across their respective national teams. Rodrigo Mora, representing Portugal's Under-21 side, delivered an assist and created multiple chances in a 90-minute display against Bulgaria that drew praise. Manu Koné continued his strong form for France, deployed as a defensive midfielder against Turkey in a different role than his usual positioning, yet still ranked first for successful dribbles and maintained his stellar start to the season. Koné has now established himself as a cornerstone of the French setup under Zinedine Zidane. Roma sent 12 players on international duty during this break, giving head coach Gian Piero Gasperini a chance to recharge ahead of a strong start to the 2026-27 campaign while maintaining focus on rhythm and fitness. Rodrigo's performance underlined the club's expectations following a €50 million investment, with his growth trajectory in a Roma shirt becoming increasingly significant. The break comes at a critical juncture, balancing necessary rest with the imperative to sustain momentum after the club's impressive opening. Gianluca Mancini's display for Italy proved disappointing, marked by an error leading to Belgium's opening goal and imprecision in the first half, though he improved after the break and came close to scoring. Daniele Ghilardi was not selected for Italy and awaits his national team debut. Konstantinos Koulierakis remained unused on the bench in Greece's match against Serbia. Evan N'Dicka returned to action with Ivory Coast, delivering a solid performance in their victory against Ghana. The three Roma players on Argentina duty—Santiago Castro, Matías Soulé and Leonardo Balerdi—face a friendly against Bolivia in four days, followed by Argentina's tribute match to Lionel Messi, a fixture where Nahuel Molina and Paulo Dybala are hoped to appear, though Roma has yet to confirm their release.

Chelsea winger Gittens has suffered an ankle injury during an England Under 21 match against Kazakhstan that threatens to derail Roma's interest in signing him. The incident occurred in the 39th minute, forcing Gittens to leave the pitch on crutches. He has since withdrawn from international duty, and tests are pending to determine the severity of the injury and length of his absence. Roma tracked Gittens throughout the summer transfer window, with the club attempting to bring him to the Stadio Olimpico on loan before the deadline passed. Chelsea blocked any temporary move, but Roma continued monitoring him as a possible reinforce for the January window. At that point, a potential opening existed given that Xabi Alonso has offered Gittens limited first-team minutes in the current season. The ankle injury now threatens to reshape Roma's calculus: the outcome of medical examinations and his recovery timeline will determine whether he remains a target or slips down the club's priorities.

Roma's international contingent made an impact during the first round of matches across their respective national teams. Rodrigo Mora, representing Portugal's Under-21 side, delivered an assist and created multiple chances in a 90-minute display against Bulgaria that drew praise. Manu Koné continued his strong form for France, deployed as a defensive midfielder against Turkey in a different role than his usual positioning, yet still ranked first for successful dribbles and maintained his stellar start to the season. Koné has now established himself as a cornerstone of the French setup under Zinedine Zidane. Roma sent 12 players on international duty during this break, giving head coach Gian Piero Gasperini a chance to recharge ahead of a strong start to the 2026-27 campaign while maintaining focus on rhythm and fitness. Rodrigo's performance underlined the club's expectations following a €50 million investment, with his growth trajectory in a Roma shirt becoming increasingly significant. The break comes at a critical juncture, balancing necessary rest with the imperative to sustain momentum after the club's impressive opening. Gianluca Mancini's display for Italy proved disappointing, marked by an error leading to Belgium's opening goal and imprecision in the first half, though he improved after the break and came close to scoring. Daniele Ghilardi was not selected for Italy and awaits his national team debut. Konstantinos Koulierakis remained unused on the bench in Greece's match against Serbia. Evan N'Dicka returned to action with Ivory Coast, delivering a solid performance in their victory against Ghana. The three Roma players on Argentina duty—Santiago Castro, Matías Soulé and Leonardo Balerdi—face a friendly against Bolivia in four days, followed by Argentina's tribute match to Lionel Messi, a fixture where Nahuel Molina and Paulo Dybala are hoped to appear, though Roma has yet to confirm their release.

Roma, not head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, is behind the decision to block Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina from travelling to Lionel Messi's Argentina farewell match, according to reporting on 26 September. The narrative that Gasperini had vetoed the pair's participation has been contradicted: the coach has not closed the door, but the club itself harbours serious reservations about the logistics and risks involved. Dybala and Molina, both World Cup 2022 winners alongside Messi, have been invited with their families to the event in Buenos Aires. The core issue is timing and distance. A return trip would require them to cover over 22,000 kilometres combined and more than 26 hours of flying, crossing a double time zone, all within approximately three days. The fixture that concerns Roma most is Como–Roma on Sunday, 11 October, scheduled just 72 hours after their potential return. After a three-week international break, Gasperini's squad will resume with a difficult away fixture against a side competing for the upper reaches of the Serie A table. Roma's concern centres on player welfare rather than the symbolic weight of the event. Dybala has begun the season with physical consistency rarely seen in recent years, and the club does not wish to jeopardise that progress with such an arduous journey. Molina, having recently found rhythm and condition after a slower start, faces the risk of interrupting his phase of improvement at the worst moment. The club is aware of what Messi's farewell means to any Argentine player, and recognises the honour of the invitation alongside their families. Three other Roma squad members have been called up by Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni: Matías Soulé, Santiago Castro and Leonardo Balerdi. A final decision on Dybala and Molina will be made following discussions next week between the club, coaching staff and the players themselves, seeking to balance the emotional significance of the event against Roma's sporting needs.

Gian Piero Gasperini is building Roma around a fluid squad model of roughly twenty starting-calibre players, where internal competition remains constant and selection shifts based on form. Konstantinos Koulierakis, Rodrigo Mora and Santiago Castro—costlier than €100 million combined—have accumulated just 323 minutes so far, but retain strategic value in a squad lacking depth for the season's demands. The trio face stiff competition from Roma's in-form performers. Gasperini has prioritised players delivering consistently strong displays: from Mile Svilar in goal to Donyell Malen in attack, and the defensive leaders including Paulo Dybala. The manager is studying Koulierakis, Mora and Castro carefully to find the right moments for insertion. Mora's opportunities depend on competition with Dybala and Matías Soulé, while Castro could complement Malen in a dynamic attack. Koulierakis awaits his opportunity, currently blocked by Leonardo Balerdi's growth and Mario Hermoso's solidity at the back. These represent significant investments reflecting the club's ambition to elevate standards and give Gasperini multiple solutions for a long season filled with commitments.

Kevin Strootman has expressed strong confidence in Gian Piero Gasperini's Roma side, highlighting the impact of fellow Dutchman Donyell Malen and midfield reinforcement Marten De Roon. Strootman singled out Malen's quality and adaptation at the club. "I know him well and he is a very strong forward," Strootman said. "He has great quality and spectacular speed. I think Roma is the right team for him—he feels important and is showing it." On De Roon's arrival to strengthen Gasperini's midfield, Strootman stressed his experience and familiarity with Italian football and the coach's methods. "He is someone who always gives his all for the team and can help younger players," Strootman explained, underlining De Roon's presence in the dressing room. Asked about Roma's Scudetto ambitions, Strootman remained cautious: "Maybe… let's see where Roma will be in March."

Kevin Strootman, the former Roma midfielder, has praised the club's strong opening to the season under Gian Piero Gasperini and highlighted the growing presence of Dutch players in the squad. Speaking to Il Tempo, Strootman expressed confidence in the direction of the team and offered particular insight into Donyell Malen's early impact. "Gasperini is working very well," Strootman said. "Roma has had a decidedly important start to the season and I hope it can continue like this. They have played some great matches, playing rather well. What is important now is to continue down this road." On Malen's performances, Strootman believes the winger has found the right environment. "Roma is the right team for him," he stated. "He has had great quality and spectacular speed. He feels important and is demonstrating it. I am not totally surprised by his performances, even if probably an impact like this nobody expected. I wish him to continue like this." Malen has impressed after struggling for consistent starts in Germany and England, but at Roma has benefited from Gasperini's confidence. Strootman also spoke about Marten de Roon's arrival, describing him as a player of great experience who knows both Italian football and Gasperini's methods intimately. "Marten is a real dressing-room man, someone who always gives everything for the team and can help younger players too," Strootman explained. "He doesn't need to feel more important than others or be in the spotlight. Everything he does in training and in matches, he does for the group. This is very important for a team that wants to fight for the top places." Strootman also recalled giving Leonardo Balerdi a Roma shirt as a gift, saying he had "completely forgotten" about it until Balerdi mentioned it on Instagram. He praised the defender's early performances. On Roma's title prospects, Strootman was cautious: "Maybe… let's see where Roma will be in March."

Kevin Strootman has praised Roma's strong start to the season under Gian Piero Gasperini, highlighting the impact of fellow Dutch players Donyell Malen and Marten De Roon. Speaking to Il Tempo, the former Roma midfielder said of Gasperini's work: "Gasperini is working very well. Roma has had a decidedly important start to the season and I hope it can continue like this. The team has played great matches, playing quite well. The important thing now is to continue down this road." On Malen's performances, Strootman said: "I haven't played much together with him, but I've known him for a long time and he is a very strong forward. He did well both in Germany and in England, even though he wasn't always a starter. At Roma, however, he found a lot of confidence, especially thanks to the coach, and he is doing very well. The difference is also noticeable in the national team. He has great quality and spectacular speed. I think Roma is the right team for him; he feels important and is proving it. I'm not totally surprised by his performances, although probably nobody expected such an impact. I hope he continues like this." Strootman described De Roon as "a player of great experience. He knows the Italian league very well and, above all, he knows Gasperini's game. Marten is really a dressing-room man; he's someone who always gives his all for the team and can help younger players too. He doesn't need to feel more important than others or be in the spotlight. Everything he does in training and in matches, he does for the group. This is a very important aspect for a team that wants to fight for the top places." Strootman also recalled giving Leonardo Balerdi a Roma shirt during his Marseille days, saying: "When I read this on Instagram, I thought 'really?'… it's been a while, I'd completely forgotten about it. Leonardo is a really good lad, he has started his Roma adventure in the best way and I hope he can continue like this." On Roma's title prospects, Strootman said: "Maybe… let's see where Roma will be in March. In the meantime, I'll keep playing with my daughters, then we can chat again."

Roma players on international duty produced mixed results across Europe and Africa on 26 September as the first round of fixtures in the international break played out. Rodrigo Mora was the standout performer for the Giallorossi, starting for Portugal Under 21 against Bulgaria in a Euro qualifier and playing all 90 minutes wearing the number 10. The 2007-born midfielder created the opening goal at the 50th minute, cutting into the area and delivering a low pass for Gustavo Varela to score. Portugal's lead did not hold; Bulgaria came from behind to win 2-1 with goals from Pavlov in the 87th minute and Marinov in stoppage time. Despite the defeat, Mora delivered a decisive contribution after losing recent game time with Roma. Manu Koné and Evan N'Dicka both completed 90 minutes in victories for their nations. Koné was an immediate starter in the new France squad under Zinedine Zidane, playing the entire Nations League match away to Turkey, which France won 1-0 through a Kylian Mbappé goal in the 54th minute; Koné received a yellow card in the closing stages. N'Dicka featured throughout Ivory Coast's 2-0 victory over Ghana in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying on the first matchday, with goals from Malick Yalcouyé and Franck Kessié, keeping a clean sheet in the centre of defence. Gianluca Mancini had a difficult evening at the Stadio Olimpico. The Roma defender started for Italy in a Nations League match against Belgium managed by Roberto Mancini, with the Azzurri defeated 2-0. Godts opened the scoring in the 20th minute, getting the better of Mancini, and Lukebakio added a second in the second half. The number 23 played the full match in a challenging performance for Italy's entire defensive unit. Konstantinos Koulierakis remained on the bench for Serbia's 2-1 loss to Greece, while young defender Daniele Ghilardi, called up to the senior squad for the first time, was left out of the 23-man squad for the Olimpico fixture. Further Roma players are due in action over the coming days. Leonardo Balerdi, Santiago Castro and Matías Soulé will begin their fixture cycle with Argentina on 30 September against Bolivia, the same day Mora returns with Portugal Under 21 against Gibraltar. On 1 October, Niccolò Pisilli and Emanuele Lulli will feature for Italy Under 21 against Armenia, and Giorgio De Marzi for the United States Under 19 against Brazil.

Giancarlo Antognoni, head of Italy's U21 delegation, has backed Emanuele Lulli for his first-ever senior youth squad call-up, saying the Roma defender merits the honour because he is playing regularly for his club. Speaking on the Amore Giallorosso programme on T9, Antognoni said: "I believe that Lulli deserves this call-up because he is playing as a starter for Roma and so coach Baldini has rightly taken him into consideration. Emanuele is an important player for Roma and will be for the national team too because his is a position that is somewhat uncovered. Before him we had Palestra and Kayode who were called up to the senior squad and so I believe that Lulli can represent an important surprise for the national team in future, and this is thanks to Roma for playing him. I believe Baldini sees something important in him." Lulli is among Roma's current squad and plays in the defensive ranks. Antognoni noted that Italy's U21 side have performed positively under coach Baldini, winning two recent senior friendlies against Luxembourg and Greece. The delegation head said the upcoming fixtures are pivotal: "We have these last two matches, and if we manage to win both of them we will qualify by right to first place. If something different happens, we will have to review our path a bit." Antognoni also discussed fellow Roma academy player Niccolò Pisilli, who is with the U21 squad. He stressed that being selected for the youth team rather than the senior side is not a demotion. "Pisilli is a guarantee for us," Antognoni said, "and being here instead of with the senior national team is not a step back. Mancini had called him up with the first squad, but since he is an important player for the U21 and we have these two important matches, it was decided to have him play with us." Pisilli celebrated his birthday during the squad's preparation phase. Italy's U21 team face Armenia next, followed by what Antognoni described as a probably decisive match against Poland as they pursue automatic qualification to the European Championship.

Rome's radio stations have weighed in on three key issues facing Roma as the season progresses: the speculation around midfielder Kvernadze, the development of Rodrigo Mora, and the decision to sell Niccolo Romano to Cagliari. Alessio Nardo criticised the timing of any potential move for Kvernadze. "If you were smart, you would have gone to get him in July or mid-August," Nardo said. "Now he's had an extraordinary start to the season, and after three weeks Frosinone will make you pay triple. Now it's foolish to go and get Kvernadze." Piero Torri added context: Frosinone are likely to demand €20–25 million for the player, but the price could rise further if Roma move slowly. Torri also flagged that Roma's position in the league table in December, and UEFA's verdict on the club's situation by mid-November, will determine whether the ownership feels obliged to invest in January. On Mora, Daniele Lo Monaco offered a technical assessment tempered by concerns about readiness. "From a technical standpoint I think Rodrigo Mora is superior to Matías Soulé," Lo Monaco said. "For me, Mora has only Dybala above him, because he does extraordinary things that others can only imagine. But from a physical point of view you have some doubts, because when he goes into a challenge, opponents push him around. And every so often during the match he loses focus, and with Gasperini you cannot afford that. Today he is not quite ready to play with Gasperini, but he will become ready soon, especially if he does not have the pressure on him of having to prove he is worth €50 million, because otherwise it becomes a problem." Fabio Petruzzi framed the Romano sale as a difficult but necessary choice. "Romano is a good player, I do not say otherwise, but I would be cautious," Petruzzi said. "He would not have played at Roma. Roma had to make a choice: either Pisilli or Romano." Stefano Carina highlighted the oddity of Romano's sale: the initial asking price was €9 million, but the player departed for €5 million. "If you were asking nine million then perhaps this lad is worth something," Carina noted. "Cagliari saw further ahead, and now it seems like a big regret."