Rodrigo Mora completes move to Roma, confirms number 86

Roma are preparing a concrete new attempt to sign Endrick in the January transfer window, with head coach Gasperini and sporting director D'Amico maintaining their interest in the Brazilian. The 2006-born forward is struggling for playing time at Real Madrid, despite comments from José Mourinho, and Roma see an opportunity to revive their pursuit. AC Milan, who attempted to bring Endrick to the club in the summer, also remain in contention for his signature. Meanwhile, Roma are advancing contract negotiations with defender Emanuele Lulli, whose performances at the start of the season have impressed the club. Lulli is set for a contract extension through to 2031, with his salary rising significantly to nearly €1 million per year.

AS Roma have been working on a move for Real Madrid forward Endrick over the last few months, with increasingly positive signals that a deal could materialise in January. Sporting director Tony D'Amico is driving the initiative, and crucially, Endrick has already given his approval to join the Giallorossi, viewing a Roma move as an opportunity to regain prominence after his time in Madrid. Endrick's father is also supportive of the transfer, particularly given that his Brazilian teammate Wesley is performing well at Roma. The player has confided to close friends that a switch to the Giallorossi is a genuine possibility. AC Milan have also attempted to recruit Endrick, but Roma are ahead in the race, having already held initial talks with the player and his representatives. A forthcoming fixture between Roma and Real Madrid could provide a suitable moment for both parties to advance discussions further on the deal.

Competition for Real Madrid's Endrick is intensifying, with Roma remaining attentive to a potential January move for the Brazilian forward. Alexandre Pato disclosed at the Trento Sports Festival that AC Milan attempted to sign Endrick during the summer transfer window. "I believe Endrick needs to change, because it is hard for him to play at Madrid. I know that Cardinale was trying to bring him to Milan, we talked about it, but in the end nothing happened," Pato said. "In January? I do not know." Endrick has struggled for playing time at Real Madrid despite assurances from José Mourinho, keeping Roma in the hunt for a winter approach. Pato's comments suggest Milan could resume their pursuit alongside Roma's interest, though a January move remains uncertain.

Lorenzo Pellegrini is ready to reclaim a leading role at Roma after 184 days out. The midfielder has recovered from a long injury, signed a contract renewal on 8 August, and is now pushing for a starting place when Roma face Como. He returns with leadership, technical quality and work completed during the international break at Trigoria. A social media post — "True happiness is being at peace with the people around you" — reflects the calm with which he approaches his comeback after a previous season that yielded seven goals and four assists. Pellegrini's injury began on 10 April. Despite Gasperini assigning the captaincy based on appearances, Pellegrini remains the natural reference point in the dressing room, confirmed by his contract extension and his choice to stay despite several offers from Italian and foreign clubs. His lengthy absence and dedicated rehabilitation put him in fresher condition than squad-mates returning from international duty, including Soulé and Mora. In Gasperini's 3–4–1–2 system, Pellegrini can operate on the attacking midfield line behind Dybala and Malen, providing quality in the final third and pressing intensity. Gasperini is seriously considering starting him, with Pellegrini estimated to have an autonomy of around sixty minutes but ready to begin the match and definitively reclaim his place.

Lorenzo Pellegrini is on the verge of his first competitive appearance in 184 days, with the trip to Como offering the chance to mark his official return. The midfielder finds a Roma squad transformed from the one he left behind: a new system, fresh hierarchies, and a captain's armband assigned under different criteria. Rather than stepping straight back into a pre-established role, Pellegrini must essentially start over—but this fresh start gives Gasperini scope to deploy him in a way no other attacking option in the squad can replicate. In the current 3-4-1-2 formation, Pellegrini can operate behind the two forwards without functioning as a purely classical playmaker. He can drop deeper to supply a passing option to midfielders, press high, make off-the-ball runs, and serve Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen in the final metres. This versatility could transform the system into something more fluid—oscillating between a three-man midfield and a genuine three-man attacking line. Against Como, where Gasperini wants to press the opening possession of Fabregas's side, Pellegrini could shield the first phase of opposition build-up before becoming the man for the final pass once possession is regained. This dual function differs sharply from what Rodrigo Mora and Matías Soulé offer and could prove crucial in matches requiring greater central density. Pellegrini has a practical advantage: while teammates traversed the globe with their national squads, he used the international break to work uninterrupted at Trigoria. His recovery is complete, with his match fitness estimated at around one hour of play. Gasperini can now genuinely consider him a starting option rather than merely a player to integrate gradually. The timing suits Roma well. After Como comes a sequence of nine matches in 28 days, making it impossible to rely on the same players constantly. Pellegrini need not displace anyone; he can allow Gasperini to reshape the squad's character without overturning it, alternating with other attacking players and offering control when needed in midfield. Pellegrini's real challenge differs from his past burden. He no longer must prove himself as captain or symbol of Roma; he must earn his space within a team that has found balance without him. That liberation from the weight of recent years could free him to become exactly what Gasperini is asking—not the project's centre, but an additional weapon in a squad that from October will need everyone available.

Bryan Cristante has sustained a knee injury that will rule him out of upcoming matches, including fixtures against Como and Real Madrid. The midfielder has been absent from the Roma squad only once in the past 668 days—a significant stretch for a player head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has described as essential to the team's tactics and balance. Cristante's last enforced absence came on 4 December 2024, when an ankle problem sidelined him for approximately 52 days. Seven years ago, he started for Roma in one of the club's last memorable Champions League nights at the Olimpico, against Real Madrid. Cristante has established himself as Roma's most reliable midfielder, described as the lungs, mind and strength of the giallorossi's engine room. His injury record since joining the club in July 2018 is remarkable: in 370 appearances, he has missed only 28 matches through injury—an average of 3.8 games per season across an annual squad schedule of roughly 50 matches. His availability stands at 92.5 per cent, a reliability index that underscores his indispensability to Roma's setup. His durability is equally striking: he completed a run of over 38 consecutive league starts without a sign of decline before this injury. The midfielder's clinical history at Roma shows injury stoppages have been rare and concentrated in isolated episodes, making this absence a notable exception to what has been an extraordinary record of physical consistency.

Matías Soulé could make his Argentina debut in a friendly against Burkina Faso on the night of 3 October, after remaining on the bench for the 4–0 win over Bolivia despite praise from coach Scaloni in the build-up. The Burkina Faso side is expected to arrive in Argentina only hours before the match at the Monumental in Buenos Aires, despite logistical difficulties. Soulé, wearing number 18 for Roma, may start alongside Enzo Fernández and Medina after watching from the sidelines at Córdoba. Leonardo Balerdi, the third Roma player in the Argentina squad, was the only one to feature in the Bolivia match on Thursday 1 October and is now pushing to challenge Martínez for a defensive spot. Santiago Castro is also pressing for a first-team opportunity but faces competition from Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez in the forward line. ESPN Argentina reported on Soulé's prospects, while Olé covered Balerdi's claims on the defence.

Gian Piero Gasperini has given Roma a three-day break before the squad returns to work on Tuesday afternoon at Fulvio Bernardini to prepare for the match against Como. Bryan Cristante will be sidelined for around two weeks with a lateral collateral ligament problem, forcing him to miss approximately five matches with a target return date of 24 October against Napoli. To manage the midfield absence, Gasperini is considering Niccolò Pisilli and Marten de Roon, with the Dutch midfielder poised to make his starting debut at Como alongside Manu Koné. National team commitments will complicate preparations, with players returning to Trigoria in stages. Evan N'Dicka will be the first arrival back after his involvement with Ivory Coast. The final players to return will be the Argentine trio of Leonardo Balerdi, Santiago Castro and Matías Soulé, who are not expected at the training ground until Thursday. The staggered returns mean Gasperini must manage a gradual integration of the international contingent while addressing the pressing issue of Cristante's absence in midfield.

Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has given Roma's squad three days off before recalling them to Trigoria on Tuesday afternoon to prepare for the match against Como. Bryan Cristante will not be available for training as he continues to recover from a knee collateral problem. The goal is to have the captain fit for Roma's fixture at Napoli on 24 October. Gasperini will begin reintegrating the players involved in the international break from Tuesday onwards. Evan N'Dicka will be among the first to return after completing Ivory Coast's final match of the international window today. The last players to report back will be the Argentines Leonardo Balerdi, Santiago Castro and Matías Soulé, who are expected at Trigoria on Thursday.

Greece and the Netherlands drew 2–2 in a Nations League Group A2 fixture at Salonicco on the third matchday. Greece took the lead through Ioannidis in the 23rd minute and doubled their advantage via Masouras at 47 minutes, but the Dutch mounted a comeback with goals from van Dijk (59') and Reijnders (89'). Konstantinos Koulierakis, the Roma defender, remained unused on Greece's bench under manager Jovanovic; he had also been left out of the squad against Germany. The Netherlands were without Donyell Malen, who stayed in Rome due to injury. After three rounds, Greece lead Group A2 with 7 points, ahead of the Netherlands on 5 points, Germany on 4 points, and Serbia with none.

Roma enter a critical period from 11 October that will reveal whether their depth can match their starting XI. Between the away trip to Como and the home fixture against Sassuolo on 7 November, the Giallorossi will play nine matches in 28 days—six in Serie A and three in the UEFA Champions League—at an average of one game every three days. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has built his team around a recognisable core of first-choice players, but that group will no longer be enough. The test will determine whether those who have played less can step up without a noticeable drop in performance. Through the first five matchdays, the numbers reveal Gasperini's structural priorities. Goalkeeper Mile Svilar has not missed a minute in the league; Bryan Cristante has played 424 minutes, Mario Hermoso 419, Paulo Dybala 407 and Gianluca Mancini 392. Eight players have exceeded 300 minutes, forming the nucleus around which the team has built its current lead. Donyell Malen has scored six goals in five league matches and become the technical reference point of the attack, while Dybala has contributed four assists. Cristante, Hermoso and Mancini have provided near-absolute continuity and reliability. The midfield partnership of Cristante and Manu Koné has been the reference pairing, with different but complementary characteristics, while Marten de Roon and Niccolò Pisilli have seen far less action. De Roon knows Gasperini's football intimately and can guarantee balance and reading of play, but has been used mainly in brief spells; Pisilli brings dynamism and runs forward but must prove he can perform when the opponent's quality rises. Matches against Real Madrid, Napoli and Manchester United will inevitably create minutes for both. The defence faces similar pressures. Mancini and Hermoso have been almost untouchable, but the competition behind them is abundant: Leonardo Balerdi, Daniele Ghilardi and Konstantinos Koulierakis must transform from alternatives into genuinely interchangeable options. Ghilardi has already accumulated 142 league minutes, while Koulierakis has been used far less despite the summer investment. In Gasperini's system, where defenders are asked to accept constant individual duels and play far from their goal, changing a centre-back is never a neutral substitution—the player entering must have fully absorbed the line's timing, aggression and mechanics. On the flanks, rotations will be equally unavoidable. Wesley has been heavily used, young Emanuele Lulli has been a major surprise, and Nahuel Molina has collected 216 Serie A minutes with two starts. Devyne Rensch has found the least space but has always proved reliable. In attack, Matías Soulé has already broken down the distinction between starter and reserve with 279 minutes, three starts, two goals and an assist. Rodrigo Mora has 171 league minutes and a goal across two starts but has seen his space diminish. Santiago Castro has played little and never started in the league, while Lorenzo Pellegrini arrives after a long absence from official matches and must regain rhythm and standing. The fixture list permits no simple calculations. Como, Real Madrid, Genoa, Slovan Bratislava, Napoli, Cagliari, Udinese, Manchester United and Sassuolo in less than a month means there are no real matches in which to field eleven reserves and rest everyone else. Gasperini must continually shuffle the cards, retaining six or seven men from the core structure each time and progressively introducing others. Roma has shown a competitive first eleven so far; in the next four weeks it must prove it has something more—sixteen or eighteen players capable of sustaining the same level. If the goal is to stay in the highest reaches of Serie A while being competitive in the Champions League, the quality of alternatives becomes almost as important as that of the starters.

Rodrigo Mora (Portugal) stole the spotlight during the international break, scoring a spectacular overhead kick in the 21st minute of Portugal Under 21's 4-0 victory over Gibraltar. The goal unlocked the match and secured Portugal's mathematical qualification for the 2027 Under 21 European Championship. Mora played until the 61st minute and created further opportunities, including a cross in the second half that Rafael Nel narrowly missed. Leonardo Balerdi (Argentina) made his mark in a 4-0 demolition of Bolivia in a friendly at Córdoba, entering the pitch at the 56th minute in place of Cristian Romero and playing the final half-hour comfortably in Argentina's dominant display. Evan N'Dicka (Ivory Coast) continued as a defensive cornerstone, playing all 90 minutes in a 2-0 qualifier victory against Somalia in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers; the Ivorian defence produced a flawless performance, with the opposition unable to register a single shot on target. N'Dicka has now completed two consecutive matches without conceding, following a 2-0 win over Ghana. Manu Koné (France) appeared only in the closing stages of France's 1-0 victory in Belgium, coming on at the 90th minute to replace Lucas Da Cunha immediately after Olise's decisive goal—too brief a cameo for meaningful assessment. Gianluca Mancini (Italy) remained at Coverciano for a specialized training programme alongside other Italy squad members and missed the 4-1 win against Turkey, while Daniele Ghilardi (Italy) stayed on the bench throughout. The international window continues with further fixtures: Niccolò Pisilli and Emanuele Lulli are set to feature for Italy Under 21, Konstantinos Koulierakis for Greece, and Giorgio De Marzi for the United States Under 19.