Roma focus on Newport: training schedule and full day plan

Roma left-back Wesley held a live TikTok session from his hotel room in Manchester, appearing in his Giallorossi kit as he chatted with friends around 10pm Italian time. Among those who joined the stream was Luigi Mastroianni, DJ, artist and television personality known for taking part in Uomini e Donne. Mastroianni, astonished, recognised Wesley only a few minutes after he joined the call and exclaimed: "Ti ho preso al Fantacalcio! Ti ho pagato 90 crediti!" ("I picked you in Fantacalcio! I paid 90 credits for you!"). The two then spent several minutes playing on the platform together. Amid the many "Daje Wes" and "Forza Roma" messages, one of the most popular comments was the ironic "Vai a dormire!" ("Go to sleep!"). England is one hour behind Italy, but the time difference was enough to build further anticipation ahead of Roma's Champions League clash against Manchester United on Tuesday. The live session carried on for some time afterwards, with music, conversation and laughter.

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 defender Konstantinos Koulierakis has opened up about his early career in Greece in an interview with Greek public broadcaster ERT on the programme Kalimera ipame?, and he has left the door open to a return to PAOK one day. The Greek centre-back, who is gradually carving out a place in Gian Piero Gasperini's squad during a particularly demanding period for Roma, described how he joined the PAOK academy. Koulierakis recalled that his trip to Thessaloniki had been cancelled several times before he finally made it. Joining the PAOK academy had been a dream, and he said he was overjoyed on hearing the news, although naturally also nervous. He was kept on from the third day, without having to complete a full week of trials. "Maybe they wouldn't have kept me if I had arrived earlier," he said. He moved to Thessaloniki alone, living for three years in the PAOK accommodation. His parents had been offered the chance to follow him, but he never asked them to come. "I wanted to face this experience on my own. From the moment I entered the academy, my goal was to reach the first team, and to make it. That's why I never thought I missed my parents. I was very aware of what I wanted." He trained with the first team at first, then took part in the pre-season preparation, and from there he broke into the senior side, where he also played. He spent two years in the first team before Wolfsburg came in, and he is now at Roma. "I had completed two full seasons at PAOK, a big club where there is pressure. We won the league, lost finals, I felt fulfilled and ready for the next step." Asked whether he would ever return to play in Greece, Koulierakis was clear about his preference. "Obviously I would like to play for PAOK. As a player you never know what the future holds, but certainly at PAOK, because I lived very beautiful moments there and PAOK made me grow. It showed me the way to become a professional."

Roma left-back Wesley held a live TikTok session from his hotel room in Manchester, appearing in his Giallorossi kit as he chatted with friends around 10pm Italian time. Among those who joined the stream was Luigi Mastroianni, DJ, artist and television personality known for taking part in Uomini e Donne. Mastroianni, astonished, recognised Wesley only a few minutes after he joined the call and exclaimed: "Ti ho preso al Fantacalcio! Ti ho pagato 90 crediti!" ("I picked you in Fantacalcio! I paid 90 credits for you!"). The two then spent several minutes playing on the platform together. Amid the many "Daje Wes" and "Forza Roma" messages, one of the most popular comments was the ironic "Vai a dormire!" ("Go to sleep!"). England is one hour behind Italy, but the time difference was enough to build further anticipation ahead of Roma's Champions League clash against Manchester United on Tuesday. The live session carried on for some time afterwards, with music, conversation and laughter.

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.

Donyell Malen's scoring run continues, with his goal on Sunday taking him to 22 in 27 matches, more than any other player in the top five European leagues and ahead of Harry Kane, the newly crowned Ballon d'Or winner. Yet Roma's 24 points from 10 matches owe more than that to the Dutchman alone, as he has failed to score in five of the club's league games, roughly half of them. Others have stepped up, including players Gasperini and others had expected more from compared with last season, and the coach has been satisfied so far. The two starters on Sunday, Rodrigo Mora and Matías Soulé, were central to the win. Mora, who is Portuguese and a former Porto youngster, scored his first goal while starting a match and has been taking on an increasingly important role. In 59 minutes he completed 85% of his passes, won back 6 balls, created a big chance and completed 100% of his dribbles. Those numbers, together with two goals in five days, are clear signs of growth that is pleasing everyone, especially with Paulo Dybala currently out. Soulé has done the most to drive the team forward, returning from the physical problems that had limited him for months. The difference is clear: the Argentine has been involved in 8 goals in 13 matches, with 3 goals and 5 assists, while Malen has been involved in 14 goals overall. With Ndicka and Ghilardi, 14 different players have now scored since the start of the season, a true goalscoring cooperative. Some heavyweight names are still missing from the scoresheet, including Wesley, Mancini, Pellegrini and above all Dybala. Even so, all of these players, each in his own role, have a clear feel for goal, and that will only add to the firepower of a Roma side full of scorers.