Rodrigo Mora produces spectacular display for Portugal Under 21

Bryan Cristante is in doubt for Roma's fixture against Como on Sunday 11 October after sustaining a knee problem. The midfielder declined a call-up to the Italian national team earlier this week due to lower back pain, but it is the condition of his knee that is now the primary concern. Roma's medical staff will assess him in the coming hours to determine his availability. If Cristante is unable to play, Manu Koné is expected to partner him in midfield, with either Niccolò Pisilli or Marten de Roon providing cover. De Roon, who has not yet started a match from the opening whistle, has been working at Trigoria throughout the international break.

Manu Koné has won praise from French football legend Marcel Desailly, who told Corriere della Sera: "Manu is a fantastic player." Koné has been a regular starter for Roma over two years and holds an important role in France's squad under Zinedine Zidane's management. Chelsea made a late attempt to sign Koné during the summer transfer window, while Atlético Madrid moved for him in June, but Roma retained him. He has begun the season in strong form, delivering top-level performances including a double against Inter. Koné will face Italy in the Nations League on 2 October, followed by a match against Belgium on 3 October, before returning to Gasperini's side for the challenging fixture against Como on 11 October.

Donyell Malen has begun to make an impact at Roma with goals, performances and consistency that have placed him at the centre of the club's thinking. The Dutch forward has acknowledged he feels he still has significant room for improvement, and his ambitions are growing accordingly. Before considering comparisons to Gonzalo Higuain and Ciro Immobile, Malen's immediate target is to become Roma's top scorer in a single Serie A season. That record belongs to Edin Dzeko, who scored 29 goals in 2016–17. Behind him are Volk with 28, Guaita with 27, and Francesco Totti with 26 in the season he won the Golden Boot. Balbo, Da Costa, Montella and Gabriel Batistuta follow on a list of heavyweight names that Malen wants to enter from the front door. The bigger dream lies further ahead: the Serie A record of 36 goals, set by Higuain in 2015–16 and matched by Immobile in 2019–20. Malen's current numbers suggest he can afford to look in that direction. The road is still very long and circumstances can change quickly, but if the Dutch forward maintains his current pace, he could genuinely begin thinking in those terms. Roma's single-season record comes first; then the championship's all-time mark.

Roma's radio stations debated the midfield makeup for the upcoming Como fixture, with Rodrigo Mora's recent form and Lorenzo Pellegrini's potential return from a six-month absence at the centre of discussion. Gianluca Piacentini argued Mora deserves backing despite underwhelming recent performances: "He's a player worth continuing to put faith in. He's only 19 years old and at that age you have to give him room for ups and downs. The qualities are there without much doubt." Fabio Petruzzi suggested Gasperini might surprise with Pellegrini, noting the captain "hasn't played in six months, but he's had four weeks of work with the group now and could be the shock." He also praised Mora's form for his national team and his physical build as an advantage against Como's four-man defence, but acknowledged the young midfielder had been more convincing as a starter than when brought off the bench. Other panellists offered contrasting views on the squad's summer decisions. Piero Torri expected Gasperini to rotate all 20 players in the squad before the next international break, suggesting the coach deliberately gave Soulé more minutes to signal to Mora that "the position has to be earned." Torri added: "He seemed a bit reluctant and somewhat out of Roma's mindset when he came on against Turin." Meanwhile, discussion turned to summer transfers: Checco Oddo Casano said Endrick "was really a step away from Roma in the summer and could arrive here in January," while Nando Orsi and Roberto Pruzzo debated whether established players should have age limits, with Pruzzo recalling: "I couldn't wait to finish—everything felt heavy to me, even getting on the bus or sleeping in a hotel." On the Manu Koné situation, Lorenzo Pes reported Chelsea made a late push in late August and early September with "an important offer," but Roma showed no interest and Gasperini was unwilling to release him. Roma sources expressed no strong concern over UEFA sanctions, with the "most likely" scenario being "a heavy fine" rather than competition bans.

Roma radio pundits offered their assessments of the club's prospects ahead of the fixture against Como and the broader competitive landscape. The panel discussed the impact of the international break and squad rotation, with several commentators noting that Roma retained key players at Trigoria during the break while Como had numerous squad members on international duty. Lorenzo Pes addressed the ongoing UEFA Financial Fair Play investigation, saying that Roma's leadership at Trigoria is not strongly worried about the matter. "The Roma has reduced costs and, as of today, a heavy fine is the most probable hypothesis," he stated. Pes also touched on transfer activity in the final days of the window, specifically the Chelsea interest in Manu Koné. According to Pes, Chelsea made an approach on the final day of the transfer window, which Roma rejected. "The Blues' interest was important: between 31 August and 1 September there was some hesitation on Roma's part, but then they didn't flinch," Pes explained. "For Gasperini, Koné is very important: if he had to give him up, it wouldn't have been in the last days of the market." Other commentators focused on tactical and squad matters. Giancarlo Padovan highlighted Rodrigo Mora's recent performance with Portugal Under 21, describing him as still mysterious but too early to judge. Piero Torri suggested Mora could emerge as a decisive factor in the upcoming fixture against Real Madrid. Alessandro Vocalelli noted that October presents a demanding stretch for Roma, while Luigi Ferrajolo termed the Como match "indecipherable" but suggested Roma could exploit the tactical approach of Como's manager Fabregas.

Pes reported that Manu Koné was honest about external interest in him during the transfer window, saying: "Koné was sincere, he didn't hide. He could have said '0-0', but he told the truth. Someone was interested in him, more or less. On the last day there was a Chelsea bid, which Roma rejected. The Blues' interest was significant: between 31 August and 1 September Roma had some hesitation, but then didn't flinch." Chelsea's attempt came late in the window but was turned down. Pes added that Gasperini considers Koné very important to his plans, and that Roma would not have let him depart in the final days of the market had he been surplus to requirements. On UEFA matters, Pes indicated that Trigoria is not deeply worried about potential sanctions, with Roma's expectation being no major penalties. He assessed that the club has reduced costs and that a heavy fine is the most likely outcome. Radio commentators discussed rotation in the squad ahead of upcoming fixtures, with Torri noting that Roma have more quality this season compared to the previous year: "There's no one you'd say doesn't play. Everyone can rotate, and I think Gasperini will have them all play in these next matches." Valdarchi and Rossomando both highlighted Marten de Roon as a tactical asset for upcoming games. Valdarchi stated: "De Roon is useful both as a starter and as a substitute: there's no one like him for tactical intelligence in Gasperini's concepts." Rossomando suggested De Roon could start against Como, saying: "For me this time against Como Mora can start. Watch out also for De Roon: that way you have an extra midfielder. I see De Roon against Como. For one reason or another, against Como the others aren't at 100%: Pellegrini, Soulé and Mora. That's why I see De Roon, and then you push Cristante forward." Rossomando noted that Soulé will have limited training time before the Como match.