Roma keep the pressure on through autumn break as Gasperini plots title charge

Paulo Dybala has been invited by Lionel Messi to attend the Argentina captain's final match with the national team on 6 October, an invitation that also extends to Roma defender Nahuel Molina. Roma are evaluating whether to release Dybala for the fixture, and according to Corriere dello Sport, the club's preference is to keep him at Trigoria during the international break. The decision hinges on the fixture schedule. Roma's squad, under Gian Piero Gasperini, will return to action just five days after Messi's farewell—on the road against Como in Serie A. The two intercontinental journeys required within days would burden Dybala with travel recovery, jet lag, and preparation for the league match. Roma would rather have Dybala at their training base working under Gasperini's supervision and fully ready for the campaign's resumption. Molina faces the same situation and the same club stance. No final decision has been made, but Roma's current position is to retain Dybala in the capital during the break.

Roma have begun moving in the January transfer window and have identified Frosinone winger Giorgi Kvernadze as a priority target. The Georgian, born 2003, has scored 5 goals and provided 2 assists across Serie A and Coppa Italia in recent outings that Roma scouts have monitored closely. Napoli are also tracking the situation. The club sits joint-top of Serie A with 13 points from 15 available after an impressive start to the 2026–27 season, level on points with Inter and Lazio. Roma's sporting director Tony D'Amico recognises that reinforcements are still needed, particularly a left-winger with a right foot — a specific profile the club has prioritised. The five summer signings brought in to implement manager Gian Piero Gasperini's ideas — Leonardo Balerdi, Nahuel Molina, Rodrigo Mora, Konstantinos Koulierakis and Marten de Roon — have integrated well, but the squad remains incomplete ahead of the mid-season market. According to reports from Nicolò Schira and confirmed by Il Tempo, Roma have begun their groundwork for January. Kvernadze's form has caught the attention of Roma's recruitment team as the club prepares to strengthen in the coming weeks.

Roma are monitoring Giorgi Kvernadze, Frosinone's Georgian winger, as a potential target to strengthen their attacking flanks this season. Kvernadze has made a brilliant start to the campaign with five goals and two assists across Serie A and the Coppa Italia, attracting interest from multiple clubs. Roma, Napoli and Fiorentina are all tracking the 23-year-old, according to journalist Ekrem Konur. The pursuit reflects an ongoing need at Roma. During the last transfer window, head coach Gian Piero Gasperini wanted to reinforce the wide areas but the club failed to complete the department as he wished. Kvernadze's emergence could see the topic resurface in future windows. The Georgian prefers to operate from the left flank before cutting onto his right foot, a profile that could add quality and unpredictability to Roma's attacking play. Kvernadze was born on 7 February 2003 in Samtredia, Georgia, and came through the youth ranks at Saburtalo before stints with Telavi and Dinamo Batumi. Frosinone signed him in 2023 from Kolkheti-1913 Poti initially on loan with a purchase option, which the club exercised in summer 2024. He is contracted to Frosinone until 2028.

Antonio Carlos Zago, a member of Roma's 2001 Serie A title-winning squad, believes the current team can compete for the championship this season. Speaking to Il Messaggero, Zago reflected on Roma's recent performance against Inter, saying: 'I watched the match on Saturday, Roma had a good first half but when you lose concentration against a side like Inter you pay the price at the end.' He acknowledged the gap between that legendary squad and the present group but remains optimistic about their prospects. 'The Scudetto dream is possible,' Zago said. 'Inter is the only rival. Roma have a great defensive unit. The attack is strong too, they can compete until the final day.' Zago praised Wesley, Roma's Brazilian defender, as one of the world's best full-backs, noting that Real Madrid and Manchester City had also pursued him. 'There is little to say—for me he is one of the strongest full-backs in the world,' Zago remarked, adding that despite scoring less frequently, Wesley's overall performances remain excellent. On head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, Zago was emphatic: 'If he is not the strongest of the last ten years, he is certainly in the top three. In Serie A he is the best. The team must follow him and can aim for great results.'

Gian Piero Gasperini is refusing to ease off during the international break, instead using the coming weeks to prepare Roma for a late-autumn peak when his teams have historically shown their strongest form. While Inter gave their squad six days of complete rest, Gasperini has maintained high-intensity training at Trigoria, though the programme is inevitably shaped by the departure of twelve international players. The squad remaining in Rome includes Mile Svilar, Donyell Malen, Paulo Dybala, Mario Hermoso, Bryan Cristante, Devyne Rensch, Nahuel Molina and Marten de Roon, alongside players requiring specific work—notably Wesley, who must build his athletic base, and Lorenzo Pellegrini, who is returning from a lengthy absence and has already begun an intensive programme to rejoin regular rotation. Gasperini is also considering organizing a friendly match that could involve some youth-team players. Gasperini's approach reflects a precise logic. His teams have consistently shown their best athletic performance between late autumn and early winter, when the benefits of summer preparation become fully absorbed. His most famous precedent came in his first Atalanta season, when six consecutive league wins in November 2016 transformed a team with survival as its target into a Europa League contender. Similar runs followed in 2021 and 2024. Roma have already started well despite not yet operating at full capacity—some new players are still integrating, others building fitness, and Pellegrini has barely begun his season. The stretch ahead will demand depth: the combination of league and Champions League fixtures will produce a sequence of closely spaced matches making it impossible to rely on the same eleven throughout. For this reason Gasperini does not want a pause. He wants a launchpad. The logic is that Roma have already built their league position during the summer; now the coach wants to prepare their bodies for autumn. If the pattern his squads have followed repeats itself, the strongest part of the season may still be to come.

Antonio Carlos Zago, a defender in Roma's 2001 Serie A championship team, has said Roma can harbour serious ambitions of winning the title this season under Gian Piero Gasperini. Speaking to Il Messaggero, Zago highlighted the strong start the side has made and identified Inter as their only real rival, while ruling out direct comparison with the 2001 squad because of the different era and the strength of Italian football then, when Juventus, Milan, Parma, Lazio and Inter were all formidable forces. On Roma's defensive options, Zago singled out Gianluca Mancini as the player most similar to himself. "Balerdi arrived with a bit of scepticism and is proving to be an excellent player," he said. "Roma has a very good back line." Wesley drew particular praise: "For me he is one of the strongest full-backs in the world—Real Madrid and Manchester City wanted him too. It's not easy to arrive from Brazil and perform at this level. He is playing well on both the right and left. Perhaps he is scoring less but that doesn't mean he is struggling." On the attacking threat, Zago highlighted Paulo Dybala's form and noted that Donyell Malen has already reached six goals, saying "They can play it out to the end." When asked to compare Leonardo Balerdi to the Argentine defender Walter Samuel, Zago cautioned against the comparison: "It is complicated to compare him to Walter at this moment—he arrived not long ago while Walter was already a pillar of the Argentine national team. I hope he can build his career. Obviously if he becomes like Walter it would mean winning the title at the end of the year. It takes a bit of time, but if you are strong you adapt quickly, and when you have champions around you, you adapt easily to the coach's demands." On Gasperini, Zago was emphatic: "If he is not the strongest of the last ten years, he is certainly in the top three. He did great work at Atalanta, taking a mid-table team to play Champions League football and win the Europa League. In Serie A he is the best. The squad must follow him and can aim for great results."

Roma's radio stations aired sharp opinion on the club's prospects this season, with Nando Orsi declaring the team was built to compete for the Serie A title while singling out Inter's deficiencies. Orsi said: "This year a squad was constructed to compete for the scudetto, but nobody says it out of superstition. Inter has some football-related shortcomings that need to be fixed. Roma is strong and capable, it just needs to manage its resources. Whoever says otherwise does it out of superstition. Roma has a strong squad; Saturday's match confirmed we are among the strongest. Juventus, Milan and Napoli don't seem like teams that can compete—they are too inconsistent. Roma and Inter instead are more ready at a technical level and in terms of their squads." The consensus across Rome's radio networks highlighted Lorenzo Pellegrini's recovery from injury and the decision to keep key players available, as well as praise for goalkeeper Mile Svilar's impact. Simone Valdarchi noted that "Pellegrini, although he has fully recovered from the injury he suffered, still needs to find his match rhythm. The work that will be done at Trigoria in these weeks will also be aimed at raising the condition of number 7." Both Valdarchi and Piero Torri stressed Roma's wish to avoid releasing Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina for Argentina's goodbye match for Messi, with Torri arguing that facing two long flights days before the Como match could harm preparations. Lorenzo Pes praised Svilar as "an important factor" who "gives security to the defence and to those watching him," while Roberto Pruzzo highlighted Leonardo Balerdi as an unexpected positive arrival. Mario Mattioli added that Balerdi, who "played 200 matches in the French league," was demonstrating his value in Italian football. Pruzzo also observed that Inter's perceived threat to run away with the title was not materializing as expected, noting he would wait 7–8 more matches to assess the championship's true level.

Lorenzo Pellegrini is closing in on a competitive return after a lengthy absence. The midfielder, who has not featured in any match for Roma this season, last played in April against Pisa. Gasperini's coaching staff has designed targeted tests during the international break to rebuild his match fitness and rhythm as Pellegrini gradually increases his training workload. Pellegrini's comeback will give Gasperini an added resource in the attacking midfield area, a department so far built around Paulo Dybala, Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora. The 29-year-old is determined to repay the manager's faith and prove himself on the pitch. Beyond the immediate Roma picture, Pellegrini harbours a second objective: returning to the Italian national team and reclaiming his place under Roberto Mancini after two years away. According to Corriere della Sera, Pellegrini has been sidelined for roughly six months and remains the only outfield player in Roma's squad yet to debut in the 2026–27 campaign. His push for match sharpness and a return to previous form represents a significant boost to Gasperini's squad depth as the season progresses.

Lorenzo Pellegrini has emerged as Roma's key figure during the international break, remaining the only outfield player yet to feature under Gian Piero Gasperini this season. Despite six matches played, the head coach has called upon 19 of his 20 available outfield players, leaving Pellegrini absent from action. Rather than a tactical decision, the situation reflects the need for one of the club's captains to regain full fitness. Pellegrini's last appearance came in Roma's match against Pisa on 10 April. The break in league action has provided an opportunity for him to undertake specific fitness work to restore his match rhythm ahead of the resumption. Gasperini has shown strong confidence in Pellegrini, having actively pushed for his contract renewal on a fresh one-year deal. The manager's backing carries weight as Pellegrini looks to prove the decision justified. Beyond Roma, Pellegrini has his sights set on returning to the Italy squad under head coach Roberto Mancini, having been absent for two years. The international dimension adds further motivation for the 1996-born midfielder. During these opening days of the break, Pellegrini has notably increased his workload, following a preparation schedule delivered by Gasperini's staff. According to reporting from Simone Valdarchi in the Corriere della Sera, the squad rotation and forthcoming fixtures will give Pellegrini the platform to demonstrate the faith placed in him.

Roma have begun moving in the January transfer window and have identified Frosinone winger Giorgi Kvernadze as a priority target. The Georgian, born 2003, has scored 5 goals and provided 2 assists across Serie A and Coppa Italia in recent outings that Roma scouts have monitored closely. Napoli are also tracking the situation. The club sits joint-top of Serie A with 13 points from 15 available after an impressive start to the 2026–27 season, level on points with Inter and Lazio. Roma's sporting director Tony D'Amico recognises that reinforcements are still needed, particularly a left-winger with a right foot — a specific profile the club has prioritised. The five summer signings brought in to implement manager Gian Piero Gasperini's ideas — Leonardo Balerdi, Nahuel Molina, Rodrigo Mora, Konstantinos Koulierakis and Marten de Roon — have integrated well, but the squad remains incomplete ahead of the mid-season market. According to reports from Nicolò Schira and confirmed by Il Tempo, Roma have begun their groundwork for January. Kvernadze's form has caught the attention of Roma's recruitment team as the club prepares to strengthen in the coming weeks.

Roma's radio stations aired sharp opinion on the club's prospects this season, with Nando Orsi declaring the team was built to compete for the Serie A title while singling out Inter's deficiencies. Orsi said: "This year a squad was constructed to compete for the scudetto, but nobody says it out of superstition. Inter has some football-related shortcomings that need to be fixed. Roma is strong and capable, it just needs to manage its resources. Whoever says otherwise does it out of superstition. Roma has a strong squad; Saturday's match confirmed we are among the strongest. Juventus, Milan and Napoli don't seem like teams that can compete—they are too inconsistent. Roma and Inter instead are more ready at a technical level and in terms of their squads." The consensus across Rome's radio networks highlighted Lorenzo Pellegrini's recovery from injury and the decision to keep key players available, as well as praise for goalkeeper Mile Svilar's impact. Simone Valdarchi noted that "Pellegrini, although he has fully recovered from the injury he suffered, still needs to find his match rhythm. The work that will be done at Trigoria in these weeks will also be aimed at raising the condition of number 7." Both Valdarchi and Piero Torri stressed Roma's wish to avoid releasing Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina for Argentina's goodbye match for Messi, with Torri arguing that facing two long flights days before the Como match could harm preparations. Lorenzo Pes praised Svilar as "an important factor" who "gives security to the defence and to those watching him," while Roberto Pruzzo highlighted Leonardo Balerdi as an unexpected positive arrival. Mario Mattioli added that Balerdi, who "played 200 matches in the French league," was demonstrating his value in Italian football. Pruzzo also observed that Inter's perceived threat to run away with the title was not materializing as expected, noting he would wait 7–8 more matches to assess the championship's true level.

Roma's early-season form has sparked debate among Rome radio commentators about the club's ability to challenge for the Serie A title. Leonardo Balerdi, the defender who arrived this summer, has made an immediate impact that surprised analysts, though questions remain about the decision to bench Evan N'Dicka and the inconsistency of established players. Mattioli told Radio Radio that Balerdi "is a player of experience, he has played 200 matches in the French league. I'm pleased he came to Italy and is showing what he is worth." Pruzzo added: "I did not expect Balerdi's impact, it is a positive surprise. He is reactive, very practical and does not take risks when there is no need to. On the defensive phase he is numerically sound, he is an added value." Orsi struck a bullish tone about Roma's prospects, saying the squad was built to compete for the title this year and that Roma, alongside Inter, are more ready technically and in terms of squad depth than Juventus, Milan and Napoli, which he described as "too inconsistent." Carina offered a more measured assessment, praising Balerdi's impact but cautioning that benching N'Dicka—"the strongest in one-on-one marking in Serie A"—required courage. He criticised Gianluca Mancini's defending, saying "on the goal conceded by Roma there is his fingerprint," and suggested that with five matches played, it is premature to draw firm conclusions about title contenders, noting that Juventus and Milan remain close in points despite negative talk. Pes on Teleradiostereo highlighted Mile Svilar as a decisive advantage over rivals including Inter and Como, describing him as "a goalkeeper who brings points" and an element that provides security. Pes added that if Roma can increase their goalscoring output beyond the players currently delivering—Donyell Malen, Matías Soulé and Niccolò Pisilli—the team will become genuinely interesting.