Roma fans banned from Napoli trip as Lazio residents barred from buying tickets

Former Roma striker Antonio Cassano has criticised the quality of Serie A and singled out Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen in his latest appearance on Viva el Futbol. Cassano said: "With this Serie A, if I lose two kilos and play in flip-flops I make the difference. And if Nicola Ventola and I played up front together, we would do better than everyone else." He went on to back his own talent, saying: "I was a phenomenon. I played with ten kilos of excess weight, I didn't train, I decided what I wanted to do with my life." Cassano also turned his attention to two current Roma forwards. He said: "Dybala goes to a cylinder and falls over, Malen after eight years on the bench between Dortmund and Aston Villa is the top scorer." The comments are likely to stir debate among Roma supporters, given the contrast Cassano drew between the two attackers. José Mourinho was among the sharpest targets of his criticism, a week after his Real Madrid side beat Gasperini's Roma 4-3 at the Olimpico. Cassano said: "He is finished, he is washed up. He should stop coaching. It has been like this for more than ten years." On the Portuguese's style of play, he added: "A team of phenomena and he makes them play in an unworthy way, outside all logic. I would be ashamed in his place." He continued: "Old football, old football, without ideas. All he has left is the chatter." Cassano also suggested that Mourinho's continued prominence at the top of international football is helped by his relationship with agent Jorge Mendes: "He has the luck of having the best agent in the world, who if he wants will find him a place even on the Moon." In contrast, Cassano praised Gian Piero Gasperini, distinguishing the Roma head coach's work from that of the managers he criticised. The praise fits with his repeated call for proactive, attacking football.

Udinese defender David Alaba is at risk of missing the match against Roma after suffering a muscle strain in his right calf. The Giallorossi travel to the Dacia Arena on 31 October at 18:00 for the fixture. Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini will be without some players for the trip to Udine. Mile Svilar and Manu Koné are certain to miss the match against the bianconeri. Paulo Dybala's availability is also in doubt. Bryan Cristante, however, is set to return to the squad on Saturday for the match against Napoli. The absences add to the selection headaches Gasperini faces as Roma prepare for a demanding run of fixtures, with the Napoli game coming before the trip to Udinese.

Roma have conceded fewer goals than any other side in Europe's top five leagues, with just three goals against so far this season. Before Sunday's fixture, Cagliari shared that record, but their 4-0 defeat to Monza dropped them down the table. Roma's only goals conceded came twice against Inter and once against Atalanta. Lazio and Borussia Dortmund trail them with four each among the top five European leagues. The solidity has not dropped even after the injury to Svilar. Gollini has already recorded two clean sheets in Serie A, against Como and Genoa. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini calls his defenders 'gladiators', and the numbers back him up. Hermoso is third in Serie A for interceptions per game with 2.4, while N'Dicka is eighth for defensive clearances per game with 5.8. Mancini, after a difficult start to the season, is returning to his high level. This year Balerdi and Koulierakis have also joined the back line. Balerdi is already a fixed starter and a true utility player. He can play in all three positions of the back three, and tonight against Slovan he will lead the defence. Ghilardi is finding less space at present, but his minutes are expected to increase as the matchdays pass. The Roma wall continues to impress.