Roma Primavera travel to Inter leaders in Primavera 1 ninth-round clash

Roma's probable starting line-up for their away trip to Udinese has been revealed, with Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora forming the attacking partnership and Daniele Ghilardi positioned behind them. The match is at the Bluenergy Stadium, and it comes before Roma return to Champions League action at Old Trafford against Manchester United. The fixture is the latest in a demanding run for the Giallorossi, who face a delicate test in Friday's...

Roma will wear their traditional red shirt for Saturday's away match against Udinese, with kickoff at 18:00 at the Bluenergy Stadium. The Serie A tenth-round fixture has also seen the goalkeeper's kit fixed as yellow, while players named on the bench will wear blue bibs. Gian Piero Gasperini's side will therefore take the field in their first kit against Udinese. The goalkeeper will wear yellow, and the substitutes will be identified by blue training bibs. The match is Roma's last Serie A fixture before their European trip against Manchester United on Tuesday 3 November. The decision completes the colour arrangements for the Friuli trip, with Roma's players set to wear the traditional giallorossi colours at the Bluenergy Stadium on Saturday 31 October.

Roma travel to Udine on Saturday 31 October with a kickoff at 18:00, facing an Udinese side in deep decline under Kosta Runjaic, whose position is under severe scrutiny. Udinese sit on just 5 points in the table and have won only ... no, they have one point less than that suggests: the article states they are in a crisis, with their bench reportedly in danger and another slip potentially costing Runjaic his job. Udinese's 0-0 draw at Parma in midweek ended a run of defeats but did not cure their problems. They have scored only one goal in their last five outings and their play has been slow and predictable. The most worrying figure for Runjaic concerns home form at the Bluenergy Stadium, where four of their six league defeats this season have come, against Lazio, Cagliari, Lecce and Milan, and where the attack has drawn a blank in their last three home matches. Their injury list is crowded: Solet is hoped to be available for the match, while Bertola is out along with long-term absentees and Alaba. Udinese were rescued at Parma only by a late save from Okoye, who stopped a penalty. Roma have historically struggled in Friuli, regardless of form or league position. Their last meeting there came in February, a 1-0 home win for Udinese thanks to a goal from Ekkelenkamp. In 2024-25 and 2023-24 Roma won narrowly, 2-1 on both occasions, while in September 2022 Udinese won a heavy 4-0. Gasperini is expected to make some rotations but no wholesale turnover, with the focus on Udinese before the Champions League big match against Manchester United on Tuesday.

Roman radio pundits have urged Roma to move quickly for Endrick, while debating the Udinese fixture and the club's attacking options. Mario Corsi (Tele Radio Stereo) said that Roma must act first, warning that AC Milan could beat them to the forward. He pointed to Roma's spending: "Dopo aver speso 60 milioni per Ramos, uno che non segna mai, se può spendere anche per questo... ecco perché dobbiamo muoverci." Corsi also claimed that Endrick would agree to join Roma if he chose the club, and he suggested Mourinho was still thinking about Roma. David Rossi (Rete Sport) raised concerns about Paulo Dybala's fitness before the international break. He said playing Dybala in the game before the break would be "una forzatura" and suggested that Matías Soulé would be used in every match, which could become a problem. Rossi also asked why Roma did not try Guaglianone in the current emergency, noting that Guaglianone had brought forwards such as Arena and Paratici but had never brought in a "mezza punta", the role where Roma are struggling. Gianluca Piacentini (Rete Sport) said that Roma now feel more confident in the strength of the squad than they did last season, when a top-four finish was essential. He said he wanted Roma to aim for first place rather than fourth, and he admitted he would now prefer AC Milan to win the derby over Inter. Lorenzo Pes (Tele Radio Stereo) expected Hermoso and Balerdi to play at Udine, and said Marten de Roon, whom he had seen declining against Cagliari, would likely start alongside Bryan Cristante with Niccolò Pisilli pushed forward. He tipped Rodrigo Mora and Santiago Castro to come off the bench. Pes said Mile Svilar would return after the break, and that Manu Koné had resumed training on the pitch to be available against Sassuolo. Of Dybala, he said: "Dipende da lui. Ma per Manchester mi sembra obiettivamente difficile." Alessio Nardo (Tele Radio Stereo) questioned whether Gasperini already had an XI in mind for Manchester and, consequently, for Udinese. He said: "Sia United che Udinese sono due panchine a fortissimo rischio, bisognerà capire se è un vantaggio o meno per noi." He added: "Io non dico che vincere a Udine domani sarebbe un'impresa, ma comunque sarebbe un grandissimo risultato per la Roma." Nando Orsi (Radio Radio) was the most confident of a Roma win, arguing that Udinese were in free fall. He said: "Questa è l'occasione giusta per la Roma... Non vedo un altro tipo di risultato oltre alla vittoria della Roma." Roberto Pruzzo (Radio Radio) warned that Roma must settle the match early, cautioning that Udinese had recovered Davis and Zaniolo and could cause problems if Roma conceded space. He added: "È una partita da prendere con le molle." Mario Mattioli (Radio Radio) argued that Udine would not be easy for Roma despite Udinese's crisis, and said a Roma win would be "un'altra piccola impresa di questo campionato." Ubaldo Righetti (Radio Romanista) said Roma were not tired against Cagliari, though Mancini may have been, and that De Roon was still effective because he worked through the lines rather than chasing opponents. Righetti said the problem was frenzy, with simple passes going astray. Daniele Lo Monaco (Radio Romanista) warned that Mora risked the same fate as Bojan, who never fulfilled the promise he showed after leaving Barcelona.

Nicolò Zaniolo returns to face his former club Roma on Sunday, in a fixture the Italian press has already framed as a reunion between a player and a fanbase that feels betrayed. The 1999-born midfielder, who once looked set to become a Roma flag-bearer, now plays for Udinese, and more than 5,000 supporters are expected at the Dacia Arena to treat him as a sporting enemy. The relationship soured over several years. Zaniolo arrived in the capital as a complete unknown and quickly showed his quality, with goals, assists and classy touches, including the goal in Tirana that will remain in the club's history. Two anterior cruciate ligament ruptures tested the patience of supporters who had backed him through hard times. The break came in winter 2023, when a stormy departure was followed by a move to Galatasaray, a few months before the painful Budapest final. Along the way, Mourinho stopped defending him, saying: "non ha voglia di lottare" (he doesn't want to fight). Zaniolo had also rejected Bournemouth before joining Galatasaray. His career has not taken off since. He disappointed at Aston Villa in the Premier League, and Gasperini tried to revive him without success before he rediscovered his smile at Udinese. Further clashes with Roma fans followed. In 2024, while playing for Atalanta, he scored at the Olimpico, took off his shirt and celebrated wildly, drawing a storm of whistles and an irreparable rift. Last year the stadium also gave him an unwelcoming reception, and Hermoso was the one who kept him in check. The Spaniard could once again be the key to stopping the player, who is ready to challenge his past once more. Zaniolo has apologised in recent months, but his words have not been heard. The Italian press has suggested the match could be headlined "C'eravamo tanto amati" (we loved each other so much).

Around 10,000 Roma supporters are set to fill the away sections in Udine and Manchester this week. Some 5,000 are expected at the Dacia Arena for tomorrow's match, and around 3,000 at Old Trafford on Tuesday. Many have already bought flights for England and will travel without tickets to soak up the Champions League atmosphere, which supporters are calling a real invasion. The travelling numbers reflect the strength of Roma's support, with away sectors regularly selling out. Fans will be present both in the curva and in the stands, thanks to the friendship linking the two supporters' groups. The trips come as the Giallorossi prepare for their Champions League fixtures in the coming days. Before the international break, Roma host Sassuolo at the Stadio Olimpico, and another sell-out crowd is expected there. The home match follows the Olimpico's usual pre-match tradition, where the club's fans sing Marco Conidi's famous anthem "Mai sola mai" before kickoff.