Valerio Maccaroni set for first Roma call-up against Sassuolo

Gian Piero Gasperini has received a mixed pre-match update before Roma face Sassuolo, with Gianluca Mancini left out of the Serie A squad because of a right hamstring muscle strain. Manu Koné is back in contention and has been named in the squad for the match. The club will assess Mancini's condition in the coming days to establish the extent of the problem and the likely recovery time. Koné, the French midfielder, had been sidelined since the injury he picked up against Real Madrid, when tests revealed a first-degree tear of his right biceps femoris. His return gives Gasperini an important figure in midfield for the final match before the international break. The Sassuolo fixture is the last league game before the break for national teams, and Koné's availability offers the head coach a welcome boost in the centre of the park while Mancini's absence leaves the defence to be reorganised.

Donyell Malen has become one of the key figures in Gian Piero Gasperini's Roma side, and his market value has more than doubled since he arrived at the club. According to Transfermarkt, the Dutch forward's valuation has risen from €25 million to €55 million, an increase of €30 million, or 120% on the initial figure. At 27 years old, Malen is going through an important phase of his career, and the article credits his time in the Italian capital with relaunching him. Roma exercised their option to buy him in June for €27 million, securing the forward on a permanent basis. The current valuation of €55 million is €28 million more than the purchase price. The article notes that this gap reflects growth in the player's estimated value rather than a profit already realised on a sale. For the Giallorossi, the move is also a positive sign on the balance sheet, as the club's investment in a player whose valuation has risen sharply in just a few months. The article's central point is that Malen's contribution goes beyond his performances on the pitch. He has established himself as one of the team's main reference points and holds a central role in the project, a rise that is reflected in his economic valuation.

Gian Piero Gasperini is set to retain the front three of Soulé, Rodrigo Mora and Malen, according to a convergence of the main Italian dailies' probable line-ups published this morning on the eve of Roma's next fixture. Devis Vasquez is tipped to start in goal by six of the seven newspapers, while only Tuttosport suggests Pierluigi Gollini could return. Given the condition of the Italian goalkeeper, the Colombian is firmly favoured to start. The defence is where the picture is less certain. The most popular option is Ghilardi, N'Dicka and Hermoso. Leonardo Balerdi, tipped by Il Messaggero, Tuttosport and Corriere della Sera, and Gianluca Mancini, picked by Il Tempo, remain in contention. On the flanks, there is near-unanimous agreement: Molina on the right and Wesley on the left. There is also no doubt in midfield, where Gasperini is expected to rely again on the pairing of Cristante and De Roon. Up front, the choice also appears settled. Soulé and Rodrigo Mora are set to operate behind Donyell Malen, who remains Roma's central attacking reference. The only dissenting voice is Tuttosport, which proposes Niccolò Pisilli in place of the Portuguese forward. The probable Roma line-up in a 3-4-2-1 formation is: Vasquez; Ghilardi, N'Dicka, Hermoso; Molina, Cristante, De Roon, Wesley; Soulé, Rodrigo Mora; Malen.

Roma's Primavera side drew 1-1 with Manchester United in the fourth matchday of the UEFA Youth League, with Antonio Arena equalising from the penalty spot late in the game. Coach Mattia Scala said the result was a good point, with an excellent second half and a less convincing first half. Roma started the match well and had an early chance to score. However, they began to struggle against United's passing game, which pulled them across the pitch, and they faded. United took the lead at that moment, although they did not create many big chances. Scala said the team was sorted tactically at half-time, with the players urged to show more courage. Roma brought on three forwards to push for the win. Scala described the United side as more ready than his own. Several of their players born in 2007 were already playing with their Under-21 team, and some had already made their Premier League debuts. Roma had brought many 2009-born players, so Scala said the gap was one of experience rather than technical quality. He added that United had shown themselves to be a very good side. Scala also confirmed that Arduini and Romero Corredera were called up to train with the first team after the session on the previous day. He said the club was fully available to the first team's needs, and that the staff's preparation had not changed. Scala said the team was going through a very positive period, and that he had seen many tired players who were still ready to give everything. He said the players never give up and that some of them were disappointed not to win. He described this as a sign of maturity and growth. Roma face one more match in this mini-cycle on Sunday before recharging for the restart. Arena, who scored the 1-1 penalty late in the match, said pressure was normal when trailing 1-0 with a few minutes left. He said he approached the spot-kick with great confidence, as he always tries to do, and that the point was important, away from home against a strong side. He said Roma had played a great second half, playing together, and had deserved the equaliser. On the change after the break, Arena said United had been physical and had handled Roma's pressure well in the second half of the first half. In the second half, he said, the team showed more hunger, ran more and put United under pressure. He said those who came on had done very well, whether defenders or attackers, and that the group is united and never gives up. He added that it was not the first time they had come from behind to get back into a game. Asked about disappointment, Arena said Roma always want the three points, but that sometimes a point is good too, as the match was not simple. He said the team should be happy with the draw, having suffered and played well together. Looking ahead, he noted the squad returns to Rome after leaving there last Thursday. He described the time away as a little training camp. He said two good performances had come out of it, and that the group gets on well, which he believed had done them a lot of good.

Roma's Primavera side came back from Manchester with a valuable point, drawing 1-1 at United in the fourth matchday of the Youth League League Phase, with Arena converting a late penalty. Roma trail after a goal from Thompson on 39 minutes but equalised in the closing stages, and the point lifts them to seven points. Roma started well and almost took the lead after just one minute, when Arena failed to make the most of a fine pass from Camara. As the game went on, United grew in confidence and found the opener on 39 minutes: Mantato broke down the flank and delivered a cross that Thompson drove into the net for the 1-0 English side. Coach Mattia Scala's team pushed for a response after the break but also risked conceding a second. Kilvinger was decisive on 77 minutes, stopping Ibragimov as he broke clear on the counter-attack. A minute later came the moment that changed the match: Thompson handled a cross from Corredera, and Roma were awarded a penalty. Arena stepped up and did not miss, levelling at 1-1 on 79 minutes. The score held until the final whistle. The result follows a 2-0 win over Inter in the league, and keeps alive the young Giallorossi's European ambitions. Roma now sit on seven points after four matchdays. Their next fixture, on 25 November, is an away trip to Paris Saint-Germain.

Roma's Primavera side were goalless with Manchester United in the Youth League in England, with Arena leading the attack alongside Camara. Roma are chasing a third win in the competition, following victories over Fenerbahce and Slovan Bratislava. Coach Mattia Scala left Paratici out of the squad, despite his hat-trick against Slovan Bratislava. Manchester United are coached by Adam Lawrence, whose side had just lost to Como and Atletico Madrid. Manchester United line up in a 4-3-3: Hardy; Helafu, Mills, Armer, Watson; J. Fletcher, Camacho, T. Fletcher; Mantato, Ibragimov, Thompson. Roma play a 3-5-2: Kilvinger; Basile, Paul, Bonifazi; Cama, Maccaroni, Ballarin, Giammattei, Marchetti; Camara, Arena. Among the Roma substitutes are Marcaccini, Bouaskar, Loreti, Arduini, Dattilo, Forni, Romero, Paratici and Strata. Manchester United's bench includes Ford, Orozco, Eze, Ajayi, Shah, McEvoy, McCormack, Brown and Rooney. The Roma side combines a back three with a midfield five, with Camara and Arena pressing up front for the Giallorossi youngsters. Scala's decision to leave Paratici out of the starting line-up gave the attack a different look from the win over Slovan Bratislava.