Roma begin Welsh training camp ahead of new season

Gian Piero Gasperini has midfield reinforcements available for Roma's friendly match against Cardiff in Wales. Neil El Aynaoui has concluded his extended post-tournament break and will feature in the test against Cardiff this afternoon, making a brief return to the squad after attending the World Cup as a key player for Morocco. His performances at the tournament attracted interest from several European clubs, most notably Aston Villa under Emery, though the club has not yet made a formal approach. El Aynaoui struggled initially to win Gasperini's confidence last season but emerged as a decisive player in Roma's final Champions League push, contributing a goal, an assist, and a notable derby performance deputising for the injured Manu Koné. His availability eases pressure on midfield depth ahead of the competitive campaign. Niccolò Pisilli is also returning but will not play in Wales; he is recovering from a first-degree muscle-fascia injury to the soleus of his left leg sustained more than a week ago, which forced him to miss matches against Trastevere and Cannes. He travelled with the squad and is expected to rejoin full training by the middle of next week, with complete availability to follow. Manu Koné remains absent, currently on holiday in Miami; Manchester United continues to monitor his situation and maintains contact with his representatives, though has not yet submitted an official offer.

Real Madrid have outlined their conditions for Franco Mastantuono's departure, with the Argentine forward out of favour at the club. The Spanish giants will allow him to leave on a straight loan or permanent transfer with a buy-back clause — a structure similar to the Nico Paz deal — to retain control of the player. Roma have emerged as suitors but are reluctant to accept Madrid's formula. The Giallorossi would prefer to take Mastantuono on loan with at least a purchase option, a requirement that has left them less engaged than Serie A rivals Fiorentina in the race for his signature. Real Madrid continue to prioritise Endrick as their primary target, though his arrival depends on Matías Soulé's departure from the club.

Roma faced Cardiff, the newly promoted Championship side, in a pre-season fixture at the Helton training centre on Friday, with kickoff at 15:00 local time (16:00 CET, live on DAZN). The match offered the first real glimpse of how head coach Gian Piero Gasperini intends to deploy Castro, the Colombian forward nicknamed 'Torito' who joins Roma after two seasons at Bologna. The key question surrounding Castro's Roma career centres on his role in Gasperini's system: whether he will operate as backup to Donyell Malen or feature alongside the Dutch winger in a two-striker formation. Early indications suggest both players may feature for one half each in Friday's outing. The prospect of Castro and Malen playing together, potentially with Paulo Dybala operating as a trequartista, carries significant tactical intrigue, particularly against defensive systems built around a back four. In Gasperini's previous spell at Roma, he favoured widening Malen when opting for alternatives, though his broader managerial history demonstrates tactical flexibility up front. At Atalanta, he deployed varied attacking combinations: Muriel and Zapata with Gomez as trequartista; Petagna and Gomez ahead of Kurtic; and later Koopmeiners operating behind Hojlund and Lookman—showing a manager unafraid to experiment with multiple forward configurations.

Gian Piero Gasperini has midfield reinforcements available for Roma's friendly match against Cardiff in Wales. Neil El Aynaoui has concluded his extended post-tournament break and will feature in the test against Cardiff this afternoon, making a brief return to the squad after attending the World Cup as a key player for Morocco. His performances at the tournament attracted interest from several European clubs, most notably Aston Villa under Emery, though the club has not yet made a formal approach. El Aynaoui struggled initially to win Gasperini's confidence last season but emerged as a decisive player in Roma's final Champions League push, contributing a goal, an assist, and a notable derby performance deputising for the injured Manu Koné. His availability eases pressure on midfield depth ahead of the competitive campaign. Niccolò Pisilli is also returning but will not play in Wales; he is recovering from a first-degree muscle-fascia injury to the soleus of his left leg sustained more than a week ago, which forced him to miss matches against Trastevere and Cannes. He travelled with the squad and is expected to rejoin full training by the middle of next week, with complete availability to follow. Manu Koné remains absent, currently on holiday in Miami; Manchester United continues to monitor his situation and maintains contact with his representatives, though has not yet submitted an official offer.

Roma did not complete a player sale by 31 July to satisfy UEFA's financial fair play requirements, despite a deadline extension. The decision to hold firm in the transfer market was reportedly made by the Friedkin Group at the request of head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who sought to maintain squad competitiveness. Rejected offers included Inter's approach for Gianluca Mancini and Evan N'Dicka, Juventus's bid for Mile Svilar (€42 million), and Porto's interest in Niccolò Pisilli (€22 million). Manu Koné and Matías Soulé also remained at the club despite external interest. Roma anticipates UEFA will announce a penalty in November. The club expects a fine of €10–12 million and a restriction on squad size for European competition in 2027–28, reducing the available roster from 25 to 22 players. A ban on fielding newly signed players is considered unlikely, and outright exclusion from European competitions is deemed improbable.

Roma arrived in Wales for their pre-season training camp on Tuesday, though roughly an hour behind schedule after switching flights due to an operational issue. The squad will be based at Vale Resort in Hensol and face Cardiff City in their opening friendly at Cardiff City Stadium on Wednesday at 16:00 local time (15:00 UK time). No morning training session is scheduled before the match. Santiago Castro, who has completed initial work at Trigoria, is primed to feature after his recent arrival, with Donyell Malen set to start as the sole new signing present. Matteo Koulierakis has not yet arrived for his medical examination; he is expected in the capital on Wednesday before joining the squad in Wales. Niccolò Pisilli has been recalled to the group as he continues recovery from a left soleus muscle injury but will not play. Robinio Vaz has fully recovered from injury and is available, while Neil El Aynaoui has returned after extended leave following World Cup duties. Approximately 10,000 tickets have been sold for the fixture. Shuttle bus services will operate every 15 minutes on route 95 between Cardiff city centre and the stadium from Wood Street (stop JB), beginning two hours before kickoff and running until the crowd has dispersed. Gates open at 13:30—90 minutes before the 15:00 local start. Around 100 Roma supporters are expected to attend.