Roma seek the breakthrough at Verona

Roma host Sassuolo, coached by former Roma midfielder Aquilani, in their Serie A matchday 11 fixture at the Stadio Olimpico, with kickoff at 20:45. Gasperini wants a response from his players after the defeat in Manchester, aiming to continue an excellent start to the season and take advantage of the day's other results, Inter v Como and Napoli v Lazio, which could help Roma in the table. Gollini will not be available for the match, so Devis Vásquez is confirmed in goal. The central defensive places remain open, with Ghilardi or Mancini competing for one spot and Balerdi or N'Dicka for another. Up front, the trio of Soulé, Mora and Malen is confirmed. The Italian newspapers largely agree on the starting line-up. La Gazzetta dello Sport, Il Corriere dello Sport and La Repubblica all name Vásquez; Ghilardi, N'Dicka and Hermoso at the back; Molina, Cristante, De Roon and Wesley in midfield; and Soulé, Mora and Malen in attack. Il Romanista instead picks Balerdi alongside N'Dicka and Hermoso and gives Koné a place in midfield. Il Messaggero also selects Balerdi, with De Roon and Cristante in the middle. Tuttosport goes with Gollini in goal, Pisilli in the midfield and Malen as the lone striker, and it lists Gasperini as the coach. Il Tempo and Corriere della Sera's Italian sources differ on the defence, with Mancini in place of Ghilardi or Balerdi in some lineups. The lineups as published by the newspapers are as follows. La Gazzetta dello Sport: Vásquez; Ghilardi, N'Dicka, Hermoso; Molina, Cristante, De Roon, Wesley; Soulé, Mora; Malen. Il Corriere dello Sport: Vásquez; Ghilardi, N'Dicka, Hermoso; Molina, Cristante, De Roon, Wesley; Soulé, Mora; Malen. Il Romanista: Vásquez; Balerdi, N'Dicka, Hermoso; Molina, Cristante, Koné, Wesley; Soulé, Mora; Malen. La Repubblica: Vásquez; Ghilardi, N'Dicka, Hermoso; Molina, Cristante, De Roon, Wesley; Soulé, Mora; Malen. Tuttosport: Gollini; Ghilardi, Balerdi, Hermoso; Molina, De Roon, Cristante, Wesley; Soulé, Pisilli; Malen. Il Messaggero: Vásquez; Balerdi, N'Dicka, Hermoso; Molina, De Roon, Cristante, Wesley; Soulé, Mora; Malen. Il Tempo: Vásquez; Mancini, N'Dicka, Hermoso; Molina, Cristante, De Roon, Wesley; Mora, Soulé; Malen.

Roma return to Serie A with an important chance to secure a result before the international break, when they host Sassuolo at the Stadio Olimpico. Manu Koné, the French midfielder, is a possible returnee and could be available at least in the matchday squad, which would add options in midfield. Several key players remain absent. Newspapers broadly agree that Vásquez will return in goal, with Gollini the choice in one newspaper's projection. Daniele Ghilardi is expected to start, and Leonardo Balerdi also hopes to be included, though the question is who will be rested. Nahuel Molina is pencilled in on the right, with Rodrigo Mora playing alongside Matías Soulé and Donyell Malen up front. The lineups published by the national papers show differing shapes. La Gazzetta dello Sport goes with a 3-4-2-1 featuring Vásquez; Ghilardi, Ndicka and Hermoso; Molina, Cristante, de Roon and Wesley; Soulé and Mora behind Malen. Il Messaggero opts for a 3-4-1-2 with Balerdi in defence, Mora in the number ten role and Soulé and Malen up front. Corriere della Sera also uses a 3-4-1-2, with Ghilardi and Balerdi both in the back three alongside Ndicka. Corriere dello Sport and Il Tempo both use a 3-4-2-1, though Il Tempo selects Mancini in place of Ghilardi. Tuttosport is the outlier, naming Gollini in goal and Pisilli in midfield alongside Soulé, with Malen leading the line. For the full picture of the probable lineups, the candidates for the back three and the role behind the striker remain the main points of debate among the papers. The varying picks reflect uncertainty over rotation, with Ghilardi the most consistently named starter across the newspapers. Koné's possible return would be a significant boost for coach Gian Piero Gasperini as the side seeks a result against Sassuolo.

Roma face Sassuolo at the Stadio Olimpico tonight in the final match before the international break, and Gasperini wants an immediate reaction to put the Manchester defeat behind them. The Giallorossi host Sassuolo as they look to leave their recent European loss in the past and consolidate their Serie A ambitions. According to Il Tempo, the few days of training at Trigoria, slowed in part by travel problems returning from England, saw Gasperini focus above all on the players' mindset. There was no tactical overhaul and no public criticism; the aim was to lift pressure and restore the confidence Roma showed after the defeat to Real Madrid. That confidence has produced a Serie A run of seven wins, three draws and no defeats. Gasperini has skipped the pre-match press conference, but he expects an immediate response on the pitch, asking for greater focus in the second halves and the team's usual identity of play. A win over Sassuolo, coached by former Roma player Aquilani, would mean not only putting the Champions League behind them but also taking advantage of other results, such as Como-Inter, to reach the break in a strong league position. Selection remains affected by injuries. In goal, Gollini's back pain and Svilar's knock mean Vásquez will once again protect the posts. In defence, Ghilardi may take the place of Mancini or N'Dicka, both not fully fit. Dybala will not be called up because of his recurring muscle problems. Up front, quality takes centre stage: Soulé and Mora will operate behind Donyell Malen, ready to add creativity and tempo to the attack.