Roma arrive in Manchester ahead of Champions League clash with United; de Roon to join Gasperini at press conference

Roma travelled to Manchester straight after a 5-2 win away at Udinese, with Tuesday's Champions League fourth-matchday fixture against Manchester United, coached by Carrick, set for 21:00. Roma trained in Udine earlier on the day of the win's aftermath before flying out to Manchester. The Giallorossi are in the middle of a busy run across league and cup football, and the trip to Old Trafford comes in the fourth round of the Champions League league phase. Gian Piero Gasperini's pre-match press conference is scheduled for domani, the day before the game, at 18:20 Italian time, with Marten de Roon alongside him. The final training session on the Old Trafford pitch is due around 19:00 local time. The programme for the eve of the match therefore brings together Gasperini's media duties, De Roon's presence at the press conference and a closed-door touch-up on the Old Trafford grass ahead of Tuesday's kickoff at 21:00.

Roma stayed in Friuli after their league win at Udinese to train at the Bianconeri's sports centre before heading to England for Tuesday's Champions League match against Manchester United at Old Trafford, which kicks off at 21:00. The club thanked Udinese on social media with the message: "Grazie per l'ospitalità". The session forms part of the plan to handle the two closely spaced fixtures without returning to Rome in between. In his post-match comments after the win at Udinese, Gian Piero Gasperini gave an update on the injured players, saying the return of Svilar, Koné and Dybala before the international break remains uncertain. Gasperini said: "Difficile. Ci spero. In teoria tutti e tre, ma potrebbe anche essere no per nessuno. Vediamo questa settimana, sarà decisiva." Of the three, the Argentine Dybala is reported to be closest to a return, recovering from a muscle injury. However, his call-up for Tuesday's game against Manchester United is considered unlikely. The Champions League match will be refereed by the Spaniard Jesús Gil Manzano. His assistants are Ayuso and Barbero, the fourth official is Munuera, the VAR is Del Cerro Grande and the AVAR is Fernandez. The most recent meeting between the referee and Roma was the Fenerbahce-Roma draw (1-1) on 10 September, the first matchday of the competition. The first encounter came on 7 November 2019, when Roma lost 2-1 away to Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Europa League group stage. The pair also met on 22 February 2024 at the Olimpico, when Roma drew 1-1 with Feyenoord after extra time and won on penalties. Rome radio has praised Roma's current form. Fabrizio Aspri on Radio Radio said: "Su Mora lo stesso Gasp si è sorpreso, il suo desiderio era cambiare la Roma e renderla bella sugli esterni. A gennaio vuole l'esterno a piede invertito e manca anche un centrocampista. La Roma sta facendo miracoli perché è forte, ma serve qualcos'altro. Il giudizio su Mora è super-positivo, ma Gasp non vuole questo per gennaio." Andrea Pugliese added: "Ghilardi sta diventando molto importante, partita dopo partita sta crescendo sempre di più. Gasp mette sempre Cristante e poi gli altri 10. Cristante si è conquistato la fiducia negli anni. E' un giocatore fondamentale per l'economia della squadra."

Roma Femminile came from behind to beat Napoli 2-1, having played with ten players for most of the match after Bianca Vergani was sent off within the first 20 minutes. Coach Piovani spoke to the club's official channels after the win, calling it a "bellissima vittoria" and a team effort in difficult conditions. Vergani's dismissal came early, and the coach said that after the first half she had told the defender not to worry, because such things are part of the game and can happen. In the second half Roma dominated the pitch despite being a player short. Piovani said the players alternated high pressure with moments of waiting, and that the team was well directed towards the flanks, where they moved the ball quickly to win possession back and launch offensive transitions. She acknowledged that the side still needs to improve in this area, noting that they create a lot but are sometimes too hurried in the final pass. The coach added that the players were very tired, which made the performance more remarkable. Piovani said: "Logicamente è una bellissima vittoria, ottenuta lottando in 10 uomini dopo appena 20 minuti per l'espulsione di Bianca Vergani che oggi, tra l'altro, compie gli anni. A fine primo tempo le ho detto di non preoccuparsi, perché queste cose fanno parte del gioco e possono succedere. Abbiamo fatto una partita straordinaria e voglio valorizzare questo aspetto qui: nonostante tante ragazze erano un po' stanche, sono riuscite a tirar fuori fino alla fine quel qualcosa che c'è sempre stato, ma oggi ancora di più. Giocare in 10 per 75-80' non era facile." On the second half, she added: "Sì, sono state le ragazze ad alternare con grande intelligenza una pressione alta a momenti di attesa. Siamo state molto brave a indirizzarle sull'esterno, dove siamo andati molto forte provando a recuperare palla per poi ripartire in transizione offensiva. In questo dobbiamo ancora migliorare tanto: ci è già successo in altre partite, creiamo tanto ma a volte siamo un po' frenetiche nell'ultimo passaggio. Nonostante tutto, però, le ragazze erano molto stanche e non era neanche facile, quindi è comprensibile." Roma's next fixture is a big match against Como 1907. Piovani said: "Sicuramente andremo ad affrontare questa partita con una consapevolezza diversa dopo una prestazione così. Ma lo eravamo già dopo la vittoria di sabato scorso contro la Juventus: anche lì abbiamo fatto un grande successo, e le ragazze sono cresciute in consapevolezza e autostima. Le vedi anche in allenamento, si divertono, ridono e scherzano, ma logicamente poi pedalano sodo come è giusto che sia." Asked whether the lightheartedness bodes well for the future, she said: "Sì, questa spensieratezza è un'arma molto positiva per noi in questo momento, che ci può portare a traguardi importanti. Ovviamente dobbiamo tenere i piedi ben saldi per terra e lavorare sempre con grande umiltà: come dico sempre, siamo una 'squadra operaia' ma allo stesso tempo consapevole di essere forte a livello tecnico e tattico. Dobbiamo continuare su questa strada. Io sono felice per loro, anche perché mi sto divertendo anch'io da allenatore." In a separate statement, a player said: "È stata una partita difficile. Purtroppo c'è stata quell'espulsione all'inizio, ma nonostante questo abbiamo combattuto. Abbiamo giocato per Bianca e per tutte le persone che sono fuori, tifosi compresi, e alla fine abbiamo portato il risultato a casa." Asked about dominating the second half despite being ten, she said: "Sì, ci abbiamo messo tutto il nostro cuore, la nostra passione e l'attaccamento a questa maglia. Abbiamo dato il nostro 200% perché non era semplice giocare in 10. Sono contenta e orgogliosa di questo gruppo, anche per chi non è sceso in campo ma ci ha dato supporto costante. Sono felicissima per questa vittoria." On the importance of the win ahead of Como, she said: "È una grandissima soddisfazione. Ora dobbiamo preparare al meglio la settimana perché affronteremo il Como, un'altra grandissima squadra che sta facendo bene. Lavoreremo sui nostri punti di forza e su ciò che dobbiamo migliorare, mettendo in campo un altro 200% nella prossima partita."

Roma travel to Old Trafford on Tuesday for their fourth league-phase Champions League match against Manchester United, kicking off at 21:00 on Tuesday 3 November. Gian Piero Gasperini's side arrive after a 4-0 win over Slovan Bratislava and have four points from their first three European games. Manchester United, managed by Michael Carrick, sit on three points after a home opening win over Sabah followed by defeats to Atletico Madrid and Como, the last of them a 4-1 loss at Como. Gasperini is expected to keep most of the side that has been settled in recent weeks. Gollini starts in goal, with Svilar not due back until after the international break. Mancini, who was rested at Udinese, is expected to return to the starting line-up alongside Ndicka and Hermoso. Molina and Wesley look ahead of Lulli and Rensch on the flanks. In midfield, Cristante and de Roon offer experience, physicality and balance in a game that will demand attention above all in transitions. The main doubt concerns the position behind the striker, where Mora, who scored against both Cagliari and Udinese, is competing with Pisilli. Soulé and Malen are confirmed; both were managed in the second half of the big win in Friuli with the European fixture in mind. Roma come into the match on a strong run. They beat Udinese 5-2 at the Bluenergy Stadium in the last Serie A round, with goals from Cristante, Mora, Malen and Ndicka, and Ghilardi scored his first league goal of the season in added time. That win lifted Roma to third place with 24 points. Before the trip to Udine they had won 4-2 against Cagliari, drawn 3-3 at Napoli and beaten Slovan Bratislava 4-0. In the Champions League they have collected four points from draws with Fenerbahce and a defeat to Real Madrid, plus the win over the Slovaks. Manchester United are in a much harder spell. On Saturday they lost 2-0 at Stamford Bridge to Chelsea, extending their run of matches without a win to nine. Their European campaign has also stalled. Mancini and Hermoso are the only Roma defenders named in the probable line-up, while United's probable side is built around Bruno Fernandes, with Lammens in goal, Dalot, Maguire, De Ligt and Lisandro Martinez in defence, and Baleba, Andrey Santos, Diallo and Cunha around him. Mbeumo leads the line. Carrick's side are without Ugarte, Šeško, Shaw and Dorgu, while Yoro is suspended. Rashford, Mazraoui and Amad Diallo are doubtful. Lisandro Martinez, sent off against Chelsea in the Premier League, can play in the Champions League because his suspension applies only to domestic competitions. Roma have no fit answer yet for four players. Svilar continues his recovery from a stress fracture to the fifth toe of his left foot, and his return has been put back until after the international break. Dybala will not be risked at Old Trafford after a small calf tear. Koné remains sidelined, and Pellegrini faces a longer absence because of the muscle injury he picked up against Slovan Bratislava. Gasperini can, however, count on Cristante, who is back available on a regular basis and again central to the midfield rotation. The probable Roma line-up is a 3-4-2-1, with a contest between Mancini and Balerdi and a call on Mora against Pisilli. Six official meetings have taken place between Manchester United and Roma in UEFA competitions. United have won four, Roma one, with one draw. Old Trafford brings back two painful nights for Roma: in April 2007 United won 7-1 in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final, and in 2021 they won 6-2 in the first leg of the Europa League semi-final. In the other meeting at Manchester, in the 2007-08 Champions League, the hosts won 1-0. The match will be broadcast live on Sky Sport channels and streamed via Sky Go and NOW. Kick-off is at 21:00 on Tuesday 3 November at Old Trafford. Official line-ups are due about an hour before kick-off and will be updated live.

Roma travelled to Manchester straight after a 5-2 win away at Udinese, with Tuesday's Champions League fourth-matchday fixture against Manchester United, coached by Carrick, set for 21:00. Roma trained in Udine earlier on the day of the win's aftermath before flying out to Manchester. The Giallorossi are in the middle of a busy run across league and cup football, and the trip to Old Trafford comes in the fourth round of the Champions League league phase. Gian Piero Gasperini's pre-match press conference is scheduled for domani, the day before the game, at 18:20 Italian time, with Marten de Roon alongside him. The final training session on the Old Trafford pitch is due around 19:00 local time. The programme for the eve of the match therefore brings together Gasperini's media duties, De Roon's presence at the press conference and a closed-door touch-up on the Old Trafford grass ahead of Tuesday's kickoff at 21:00.

Roma have gone five matches without Manu Koné and Paulo Dybala and have collected 13 points in that stretch, a record that shows the squad's depth under Gasperini. Bryan Cristante was also briefly absent, and the club have coped with the losses of several key players. The article notes that Pisilli, de Roon, Rodrigo Mora, Pellegrini and Castro started on the bench at times against the most reliable opponents, which it describes as a fact that applies to every team in the world. Gasperini has insisted that "they are all starters". Even with several important names unavailable, Roma have kept their level high. Koné and Dybala are described as perhaps the two best players in the squad alongside Svilar and Malen. Last season, the French and Argentine midfielder and forward were both missing together in 9 matches across Serie A and the Europa League, and Roma collected 13 points from 3 wins, 4 draws and 2 defeats. As of Sunday 1 November, the five matches without the pair have yielded 13 points against Genoa, Napoli, Cagliari, Udinese and Slovan Bratislava. That is an average of 2.6 points per game, compared with 1.44 in the earlier spell. Cristante was also out in two of those five games. Svilar has missed seven matches, and his injury marks the last time Roma fielded their full first-choice side, on 19 September, a 2-2 draw with Inter. The article credits the squad's improved maturity and quality, partly due to the summer work of D'Amico. It describes Pisilli as having a year more experience, de Roon as a professor with a titanium physique, and Soulé as back at top level. Rodrigo Mora is raising his standard, Gollini has regained confidence in his role after a long spell without playing, Lulli is a "terrible" young talent, and Balerdi often looks like a gladiator. The overall level of the team has risen considerably. After the international break, Gasperini is expected to have all his players available for the trip to Parma.