Roma radio round-up: Mora backed despite inconsistency, Pellegrini tipped as Gasperini surprise for Como

Bryan Cristante is in doubt for Roma's fixture against Como on Sunday 11 October after sustaining a knee problem. The midfielder declined a call-up to the Italian national team earlier this week due to lower back pain, but it is the condition of his knee that is now the primary concern. Roma's medical staff will assess him in the coming hours to determine his availability. If Cristante is unable to play, Manu Koné is expected to partner him in midfield, with either Niccolò Pisilli or Marten de Roon providing cover. De Roon, who has not yet started a match from the opening whistle, has been working at Trigoria throughout the international break.

Donyell Malen has won the Serie A player of the month award for September (which includes August). The Dutch forward scored six goals in his first five league matches, a start that earned him the honour. Malen will receive the award during Roma's match against Genoa. A special Malen card is also being released in the FC27 video game. Malen will lead Roma's attack in the fixture against Como on Sunday, 11 October, when the team resumes their campaign. He missed international duty with a minor knee problem, but his condition is not a cause for concern. Paulo Dybala will partner him in attack, with a contest between Rodrigo Mora and Matías Soulé to fill the midfield role behind them.

Manu Koné has won praise from French football legend Marcel Desailly, who told Corriere della Sera: "Manu is a fantastic player." Koné has been a regular starter for Roma over two years and holds an important role in France's squad under Zinedine Zidane's management. Chelsea made a late attempt to sign Koné during the summer transfer window, while Atlético Madrid moved for him in June, but Roma retained him. He has begun the season in strong form, delivering top-level performances including a double against Inter. Koné will face Italy in the Nations League on 2 October, followed by a match against Belgium on 3 October, before returning to Gasperini's side for the challenging fixture against Como on 11 October.

Donyell Malen has won the Serie A player of the month award for September (which includes August). The Dutch forward scored six goals in his first five league matches, a start that earned him the honour. Malen will receive the award during Roma's match against Genoa. A special Malen card is also being released in the FC27 video game. Malen will lead Roma's attack in the fixture against Como on Sunday, 11 October, when the team resumes their campaign. He missed international duty with a minor knee problem, but his condition is not a cause for concern. Paulo Dybala will partner him in attack, with a contest between Rodrigo Mora and Matías Soulé to fill the midfield role behind them.

Roma enter a critical period from 11 October that will reveal whether their depth can match their starting XI. Between the away trip to Como and the home fixture against Sassuolo on 7 November, the Giallorossi will play nine matches in 28 days—six in Serie A and three in the UEFA Champions League—at an average of one game every three days. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has built his team around a recognisable core of first-choice players, but that group will no longer be enough. The test will determine whether those who have played less can step up without a noticeable drop in performance. Through the first five matchdays, the numbers reveal Gasperini's structural priorities. Goalkeeper Mile Svilar has not missed a minute in the league; Bryan Cristante has played 424 minutes, Mario Hermoso 419, Paulo Dybala 407 and Gianluca Mancini 392. Eight players have exceeded 300 minutes, forming the nucleus around which the team has built its current lead. Donyell Malen has scored six goals in five league matches and become the technical reference point of the attack, while Dybala has contributed four assists. Cristante, Hermoso and Mancini have provided near-absolute continuity and reliability. The midfield partnership of Cristante and Manu Koné has been the reference pairing, with different but complementary characteristics, while Marten de Roon and Niccolò Pisilli have seen far less action. De Roon knows Gasperini's football intimately and can guarantee balance and reading of play, but has been used mainly in brief spells; Pisilli brings dynamism and runs forward but must prove he can perform when the opponent's quality rises. Matches against Real Madrid, Napoli and Manchester United will inevitably create minutes for both. The defence faces similar pressures. Mancini and Hermoso have been almost untouchable, but the competition behind them is abundant: Leonardo Balerdi, Daniele Ghilardi and Konstantinos Koulierakis must transform from alternatives into genuinely interchangeable options. Ghilardi has already accumulated 142 league minutes, while Koulierakis has been used far less despite the summer investment. In Gasperini's system, where defenders are asked to accept constant individual duels and play far from their goal, changing a centre-back is never a neutral substitution—the player entering must have fully absorbed the line's timing, aggression and mechanics. On the flanks, rotations will be equally unavoidable. Wesley has been heavily used, young Emanuele Lulli has been a major surprise, and Nahuel Molina has collected 216 Serie A minutes with two starts. Devyne Rensch has found the least space but has always proved reliable. In attack, Matías Soulé has already broken down the distinction between starter and reserve with 279 minutes, three starts, two goals and an assist. Rodrigo Mora has 171 league minutes and a goal across two starts but has seen his space diminish. Santiago Castro has played little and never started in the league, while Lorenzo Pellegrini arrives after a long absence from official matches and must regain rhythm and standing. The fixture list permits no simple calculations. Como, Real Madrid, Genoa, Slovan Bratislava, Napoli, Cagliari, Udinese, Manchester United and Sassuolo in less than a month means there are no real matches in which to field eleven reserves and rest everyone else. Gasperini must continually shuffle the cards, retaining six or seven men from the core structure each time and progressively introducing others. Roma has shown a competitive first eleven so far; in the next four weeks it must prove it has something more—sixteen or eighteen players capable of sustaining the same level. If the goal is to stay in the highest reaches of Serie A while being competitive in the Champions League, the quality of alternatives becomes almost as important as that of the starters.

Rodrigo Mora (19) starred for Portugal Under 21 in a 4–0 qualifying victory over Gibraltar for the Under 21 European Championship. Playing 60 minutes, the Roma midfielder opened the scoring with a spectacular overhead kick from around the penalty spot and delivered playmaking displays throughout the match, earning a standing ovation when he was substituted. Mora's performance underlined his quality as a creative midfielder and reinforces Roma's depth in the position. His contribution to Portugal's qualifying campaign continues his development at club level.

Roma enter a critical period from 11 October that will reveal whether their depth can match their starting XI. Between the away trip to Como and the home fixture against Sassuolo on 7 November, the Giallorossi will play nine matches in 28 days—six in Serie A and three in the UEFA Champions League—at an average of one game every three days. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has built his team around a recognisable core of first-choice players, but that group will no longer be enough. The test will determine whether those who have played less can step up without a noticeable drop in performance. Through the first five matchdays, the numbers reveal Gasperini's structural priorities. Goalkeeper Mile Svilar has not missed a minute in the league; Bryan Cristante has played 424 minutes, Mario Hermoso 419, Paulo Dybala 407 and Gianluca Mancini 392. Eight players have exceeded 300 minutes, forming the nucleus around which the team has built its current lead. Donyell Malen has scored six goals in five league matches and become the technical reference point of the attack, while Dybala has contributed four assists. Cristante, Hermoso and Mancini have provided near-absolute continuity and reliability. The midfield partnership of Cristante and Manu Koné has been the reference pairing, with different but complementary characteristics, while Marten de Roon and Niccolò Pisilli have seen far less action. De Roon knows Gasperini's football intimately and can guarantee balance and reading of play, but has been used mainly in brief spells; Pisilli brings dynamism and runs forward but must prove he can perform when the opponent's quality rises. Matches against Real Madrid, Napoli and Manchester United will inevitably create minutes for both. The defence faces similar pressures. Mancini and Hermoso have been almost untouchable, but the competition behind them is abundant: Leonardo Balerdi, Daniele Ghilardi and Konstantinos Koulierakis must transform from alternatives into genuinely interchangeable options. Ghilardi has already accumulated 142 league minutes, while Koulierakis has been used far less despite the summer investment. In Gasperini's system, where defenders are asked to accept constant individual duels and play far from their goal, changing a centre-back is never a neutral substitution—the player entering must have fully absorbed the line's timing, aggression and mechanics. On the flanks, rotations will be equally unavoidable. Wesley has been heavily used, young Emanuele Lulli has been a major surprise, and Nahuel Molina has collected 216 Serie A minutes with two starts. Devyne Rensch has found the least space but has always proved reliable. In attack, Matías Soulé has already broken down the distinction between starter and reserve with 279 minutes, three starts, two goals and an assist. Rodrigo Mora has 171 league minutes and a goal across two starts but has seen his space diminish. Santiago Castro has played little and never started in the league, while Lorenzo Pellegrini arrives after a long absence from official matches and must regain rhythm and standing. The fixture list permits no simple calculations. Como, Real Madrid, Genoa, Slovan Bratislava, Napoli, Cagliari, Udinese, Manchester United and Sassuolo in less than a month means there are no real matches in which to field eleven reserves and rest everyone else. Gasperini must continually shuffle the cards, retaining six or seven men from the core structure each time and progressively introducing others. Roma has shown a competitive first eleven so far; in the next four weeks it must prove it has something more—sixteen or eighteen players capable of sustaining the same level. If the goal is to stay in the highest reaches of Serie A while being competitive in the Champions League, the quality of alternatives becomes almost as important as that of the starters.

Pes reported that Manu Koné was honest about external interest in him during the transfer window, saying: "Koné was sincere, he didn't hide. He could have said '0-0', but he told the truth. Someone was interested in him, more or less. On the last day there was a Chelsea bid, which Roma rejected. The Blues' interest was significant: between 31 August and 1 September Roma had some hesitation, but then didn't flinch." Chelsea's attempt came late in the window but was turned down. Pes added that Gasperini considers Koné very important to his plans, and that Roma would not have let him depart in the final days of the market had he been surplus to requirements. On UEFA matters, Pes indicated that Trigoria is not deeply worried about potential sanctions, with Roma's expectation being no major penalties. He assessed that the club has reduced costs and that a heavy fine is the most likely outcome. Radio commentators discussed rotation in the squad ahead of upcoming fixtures, with Torri noting that Roma have more quality this season compared to the previous year: "There's no one you'd say doesn't play. Everyone can rotate, and I think Gasperini will have them all play in these next matches." Valdarchi and Rossomando both highlighted Marten de Roon as a tactical asset for upcoming games. Valdarchi stated: "De Roon is useful both as a starter and as a substitute: there's no one like him for tactical intelligence in Gasperini's concepts." Rossomando suggested De Roon could start against Como, saying: "For me this time against Como Mora can start. Watch out also for De Roon: that way you have an extra midfielder. I see De Roon against Como. For one reason or another, against Como the others aren't at 100%: Pellegrini, Soulé and Mora. That's why I see De Roon, and then you push Cristante forward." Rossomando noted that Soulé will have limited training time before the Como match.

Roma face their first real test of the season in October as Gian Piero Gasperini's side navigate a demanding month of seven matches across twenty days with a fixture every three days. The schedule begins with a trip to Como and swiftly turns to European competition: eighty hours later, the Stadio Olimpico will host a Champions League fixture against José Mourinho's side, a particularly significant encounter following Roma's opening draw against Fenerbahce. How Roma perform over the coming weeks will determine their ambitions in both Serie A and the Champions League. The month culminates with away trips to Napoli and Udine, separated by a home match against Cagliari. Lorenzo Pellegrini's recovery from injury will be vital; the midfielder is still awaiting his seasonal debut. The results in these fixtures, especially in direct contests and matches against top sides, will reveal Roma's maturity and the true extent of their capabilities.