Radio Rome divided over Koné sale talk as transfer deadline looms

Real Madrid will not allow Endrick to leave in January, with head coach Mourinho convinced of the Brazilian's quality and determined to keep him. According to Fabrizio Romano, the forward will remain in Spain despite interest from multiple clubs. Endrick, born in 2006, played a decisive role in Real Madrid's comeback against Roma on Wednesday and will continue his spell at the Bernabéu. Roma, Aston Villa and AC Milan had all made enquiries about the forward's availability. The setback for Roma's attack comes as Gasperini, speaking in today's press conference, has called for the squad to be expanded. The club will now need to pursue alternative targets to strengthen the forward line.

Roma remain interested in Issa Doumbia, the midfielder now at Sporting Lisbon after his summer move from Venezia. Doumbia, born 2003, had already caught Roma's attention last summer, but Sporting's deal was already substantially agreed by then, and the Italian midfielder moved to Portugal directly from Serie B. He has recently made his debut for the Italian national team under coach Mancini. According to A Bola, Juventus, Newcastle and Brentford are also tracking Doumbia alongside Roma. Sporting Lisbon's intention, however, is clear: to secure the 2003-born player. The club has inserted a €80 million release clause into his contract to ward off interest.

Roma director D'Amico has identified central defender Gabriel Zarrella as a target for the future, according to reports. The 2008-born player, who has an Italian father and Brazilian mother and was born in Cologne, currently plays for Stuttgart's Under-19 side and has featured in two Youth League matches for the German club. Zarrella's contract with Stuttgart expires on 30 June next year, though the club holds an option to renew for another season. With Roma managing their workload across Serie A and the Champions League, the club is also planning ahead for January and beyond. Zarrella's father, Giovanni, previously spent time in Roma's youth academy, adding to the club's familiarity with the family. Roma are monitoring the defender's development, as is the Italian Football Federation, which is keen to convince him to represent Italy at international level.

Gian Piero Gasperini has flagged Roma's squad depth as a major concern ahead of the match against Genoa, with four key players unavailable. Donyell Malen is suspended, while Manu Koné, Paulo Dybala and Bryan Cristante are all sidelined through injury. Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Gasperini said: "Tomorrow I am worried about the fact that we have few substitutes and we will have to face the match in some positions with someone from the Primavera." The coach emphasised that European football demands a larger squad: "Whoever plays in the cups cannot have the squad of five years ago, numerically." Koné is sidelined by a first-degree muscle injury sustained against Real Madrid, with recovery targeted for the Sassuolo fixture. Dybala, dealing with fatigue in his calf, is closer to fitness; Gasperini said: "We hope to get him back next week." Cristante, troubled by inflammation of the knee, is aiming for the Napoli match but the coach is cautious: "I don't want to put his recovery at risk." Goalkeeper Mile Svilar faces a longer layoff due to a stress fracture of the finger and is expected back after the international break. Roberto Pruzzo, speaking exclusively to Romanews, framed the fixture from Genoa's perspective, noting their confidence after a win over Fiorentina: "The victory has unblocked the team's mind, so, despite the limits it has, Genoa will give battle." For Roma, Pruzzo stressed the importance of a response: "Beating Genoa would mean immediately starting to march again." He praised Gasperini's tactical choices, highlighting Lorenzo Pellegrini's deployment in midfield and Santiago Castro's opportunity to replace Malen: "He is a centre-forward—if not now, when?" The article also reflected on José Mourinho's return to the Olimpico as an opponent during the Real Madrid match, describing the warmth shown by Roma's supporters. Mourinho thanked the crowd on Instagram: "When the finest moments of a long career are not goals or victories, but rather emotions for which I can only humbly express my gratitude. Thank you Roma, thank you Roma fans. Emotions and eternal gratitude to you."

Gian Piero Gasperini has few selection dilemmas for Roma's match against Genoa, with absences forcing his hand in midfield and attack. Leonardo Balerdi is set to start in defence, while Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora will operate behind Santiago Castro in the forward line. The Roma manager is without Mile Svilar, Bryan Cristante, Manu Koné and Paulo Dybala through injury or unavailability, and Donyell Malen serves a suspension. Emanuele Lulli is also in line for a starting berth as Roma manage their personnel constraints.

Roma face Genoa on Sunday aiming to bounce back from a 4-3 Champions League defeat to Real Madrid that ended their 14-game unbeaten run this season. Donyell Malen scored twice in the second half to give Roma a 3-1 lead against Real Madrid on Wednesday, but conceding three goals in seven minutes proved costly and cost Roma their perfect Serie A home record. Genoa arrive at the Olimpico in high spirits after beating Fiorentina 2-1 last weekend with two goals in the opening 15 minutes, securing their first league win of the season after one draw and four losses. De Rossi, who managed Roma from 2024 to 2025 and again in 2019, now leads Genoa, the club where he played before retiring. Genoa have suffered just one defeat in their last 40 Serie A home matches, but have not won at the Olimpico since 1990. Roma's defensive solidity will be under scrutiny after conceding multiple goals in two of their last three competitive outings. A victory would bring Roma to 17 points from seven Serie A rounds for the first time since 2014–15. The Giallorossi have not lost any of their last 15 league matches at home, with 11 wins and four draws, and have been historically dominant against Genoa on home turf, losing just once in their last 40 top-flight clashes at the Olimpico (33 wins, 6 draws). However, a 3-1 loss at the Marassi in their last Serie A meeting should serve as a warning. Malen's absence is significant: the Dutch forward has scored six of Roma's 14 league goals this season, accounting for nearly 43% of their total. Genoa summer signing Milutin Osmajic continued his strong start with a goal against Fiorentina, his third of the season, and has scored 60% of Genoa's Serie A goals in 2026–27. Former Roma forward Stephan El Shaarawy poses an additional threat. Genoa have conceded at least once in their last six top-flight encounters and failed to keep a clean sheet across their last three Serie A away trips, including a 2–1 defeat at Parma. Roma will be without Malen, who must serve a one-game suspension, goalkeeper Mile Svilar, and midfielder Manu Koné, who suffered a muscle strain against Real Madrid. Niccolò Pisilli, who replaced Koné in that match, could return to the starting lineup in place of Bryan Cristante. Paulo Dybala is also a doubt. Genoa must manage without Lorenzo Colombo, Djibril Sow, Elias Havel, Ethan Meichtry, and Lorenzo Venturino, though Junior Messias, who scored in last season's home win over Roma, will join Osmajic in attack after netting against Fiorentina. Roma are predicted to extend their proud home record and secure victory, though a universe exists in which De Rossi leads Genoa to their first Serie A win at the Olimpico since the early 1990s.