Roma close in on Wolfsburg defender Koulierakis

Mile Svilar will not return before the international break, with doctors refusing to clear the goalkeeper early despite new instrumental tests on his foot injury, which had been examined with a view to a return for the Champions League clash with Manchester United. He will miss the trips to Udinese, Manchester United and Sassuolo, with a probable comeback after the break in the match on 21 November at Parma. Roma continue a demanding run of fixtures, and they travel to Udinese on Saturday 31 October at 18:00 with further important absences. Paulo Dybala will not be available for the match at the Bluenergy Arena. Despite Gasperini's optimism and his partial return to group training, the Argentine has been held back as a precaution. He has suffered no setback and the injury has fully healed, but he had felt a slight discomfort before the Cagliari game and the medical staff preferred not to take a risk. The goal is his availability for the Champions League match against Manchester United on 3 November. Roma's attack remains a target in the market, with Endrick, the Brazilian talent of Real Madrid, a name of interest. Despite Mourinho's wish to keep him, the player is weighing offers received in recent weeks, and Serie A would be a welcome destination. AC Milan and Roma remain among the interested clubs, and the player's camp does not rule anything out for January. Michael Yormack, president of Roc Nation Sports International, said: "It is an evolving process. We will see how things go until the end of the year. Endrick is very talented and wants to play. He loves Madrid and his teammates, but a career is short and he wants to make the most of it." With the winter window approaching, further names linked to Roma are circulating. German reports revive interest in Federico Chiesa, who is finding little space at Liverpool and is now willing to sell him for around 15 million euros. The winger is reportedly unhappy with the limited minutes given to him by the new coach Iraola and has begun looking at the Italian market. Initial contacts with Inter were reportedly made without reaching an agreement. Atalanta, Lazio and Milan are also interested alongside Roma. On Rome radio, Alessandro Vocalelli praised the way the substitutes have come on. He said: "I like the way the players coming off the bench enter. The latest was Gollini, who seemed not up to it and instead came on and did very well, as did Balerdi and Mora. It is a Roma that is confirming what was said on the eve of the match." Luigi Ferrajolo added: "On an individual level I really like Lulli: he is growing and deserves to play all the time. Against Cagliari Roma played with fire, not only in terms of the result but also in terms of the game they played."

Endrick is reportedly set to ask for a loan move in January, with Roma still keen to sign the Brazilian forward. Tuttomercatoweb reports that the Real Madrid striker wants to leave, and AC Milan have also asked for information about him. Roma have been tracking Endrick since last summer, when a move was blocked. The former Palmeiras player is not finding room in the Real Madrid side. His only highlight came in Rome, with a Champions League goal, but it did not mark a turning point for him this season. Endrick's agent recently spoke about his future: "I think it is an evolving process. We have to see how things develop from now until the end of the year, before the next transfer window. We had an excellent conversation. He is extremely talented and very eager to play, so we will see what happens. He loves Madrid, he loves the team and his teammates, but ultimately, when you think about the length of a career, it is short, and he wants to make the most of it."

Liverpool are reportedly willing to sell Federico Chiesa for €15 million, according to the German portal Fussball-news.de, with Roma among the clubs tracking the winger. The report says the former Juventus forward has been getting little playing time under new Liverpool coach Iraola, compared with his previous role, and has begun looking towards the Italian market. According to the report, initial contacts were made with Inter, but no agreement has been reached. Roma are also said to be following Chiesa, alongside Atalanta, Lazio and Milan. Liverpool could look to move the player as early as January, the report adds, as he has lost importance in the club's technical plans. The winter window is approaching, and several names linked to Roma are already circulating as Gian Piero Gasperini looks to strengthen his squad. Chiesa was previously of interest to the Giallorossi, and the German report revives that link at a time when the club is looking for reinforcements.

Injuries have given Gian Piero Gasperini the chance to field more youngsters than usual, and Roma's results have stayed steady, Corriere dello Sport points out. Emanuele Lulli and Niccolò Pisilli both featured midweek against Cagliari and have been regulars so far. Lulli has been a true revelation. He is fresh out of the club's youth academy and was supposed to join Avellino on loan, but he stayed because Roma could not sign another wing-back in the summer. He has been seriously pushing Nahuel Molina for minutes, and the club quickly rewarded him with a new contract until 2021. Pisilli has been filling in for Manu Koné and has scored four times already. Rodrigo Mora is still finding his footing after joining Roma in the summer, although he bagged a pivotal goal in one such game. His acquisition could be worth up to €50m, so the club has a lot at stake with him. Gasperini is bringing him along slowly, particularly with Paulo Dybala currently sidelined. With some rotation, and with Koulierakis, Santiago Castro, Wesley and Soulé not too old despite being more seasoned, Roma's starting XI on Wednesday had an average age of 25.8 years. Among the top Serie A teams, only Como field a younger lineup. Injuries and a packed schedule create these kinds of opportunities, and coaches and talents must be ready to seize them. Not everyone does. Gasperini, however, is a master of player development, a process that is not always a straight line and sometimes requires pumping the brakes.

Leonardo Balerdi is set to be regularly available for Roma's away trip to Udine after recovering from the knock he suffered on Saturday. The Argentine defender has already carved out an important role at the club, and his future is tied to a buy-option whose price depends on how often he plays. Despite conceding five goals across the matches against Napoli and Cagliari, Roma's defence remains one of the most solid units in the squad. Balerdi has become a fixed point in the back line, while Daniele Ghilardi and Konstantinos Koulierakis are increasingly part of Gian Piero Gasperini's rotation. The centre-backs have also contributed in attack: eight of Roma's 31 goals this season have come from them, roughly 25% of the total. Balerdi said: "It feels like I've been here for 2-3 years", confirming his desire to stay at the club for a long time. The buy-option clauses are worth €14 million if he plays at least 55% of matches for at least 45 minutes. If he plays between 40% and 55% of matches, the figure would drop by €3 million.

Roma's win over Cagliari has underlined how central the club's young players have become to Gian Piero Gasperini's project. The Giallorossi rely confidently on their Under-23 players, who have made decisive contributions at key moments of matches, as shown by the performances and goals of those who came through the youth sector and have been developed by the coach. Among the positives is the steady progress of Emanuele Lulli, who recently renewed his contract until 2031. The 2005-born defender scored his second consecutive league goal in front of the Curva Sud, and has established himself as a valuable asset and an important presence in the rotation. Alongside him, Niccolò Pisilli has become a consolidated certainty in midfield, combining consistent performances with a nose for goals. According to Il Tempo, the Olimpico clash was also the night of breakthrough for Rodrigo Mora. The 19-year-old Portuguese, who was initially greeted with scepticism over his market valuation, unlocked the match by scoring his first goal in front of the Roma crowd. Gasperini himself praised the young Portuguese's technical qualities after the game, stressing that his imagination is a fundamental factor for the season. The young group is completed by the gradual integration of players such as Koulierakis and Castro, who are asked to provide valid alternatives in a squad that blends the freshness of the youth ranks with the maturity of the senior players. For Gasperini's Roma, young players are no longer just a future prospect but a solid reality capable of making the difference.