Roma to travel straight from Udine to Manchester for United clash

Mile Svilar will not return to action before the international break, with his comeback now set for 21 November against Parma after a follow-up MRI scan on his toe showed the bone callus has not yet formed. Pierluigi Gollini will keep goal in the next games against Udinese, Manchester United and Sassuolo. Paulo Dybala is also a major concern. The Argentine has trained individually and is determined to travel to England, but the problem with the lateral gastrocnemius (the outer calf muscle) is not yet fully resolved. Roma's technical and medical staff do not intend to take risks to avoid a relapse, which puts his availability for Old Trafford in doubt. Manu Koné, who has resumed training on the pitch, is aiming to return against Sassuolo before the break. With two matches in four days and a squad under pressure, Gian Piero Gasperini must manage his resources and rotate heavily. Neither Dybala nor Koné is in the squad for the trip to Friuli. Donyell Malen starts up front, with Soulé alongside him, while the wide positions will see alternating options such as Celik, Rensch and Wesley on the left. Balerdi and Hermoso are fully recovered. Ghilardi is pushing for a place and could start at Udine, allowing Ndicka or Mancini to rest ahead of the Champions League night in Manchester.

Gian Piero Gasperini is preparing significant changes for tomorrow's trip to Udinese, with Donyell Malen returning to the starting XI. Malen's last visit to Udine was his worst performance in a Roma shirt, though he did find the net that day, sadly the wrong one: his deflection was the decisive touch on Ekkelenkamp's free kick. Behind him, Rodrigo Mora and Matías Soulé are set to play. Marten de Roon, who needs a rest after six matches in twenty days, drops out, along with the other three midfielders who were in the previous selection. Bryan Cristante and Niccolò Pisilli will form the central midfield pairing. Roma face two games in four days, with the squad still stretched by injuries and absences. Wesley will start on the left in both fixtures. On the right, Nahuel Molina, Emanuele Lulli and Devyne Rensch are in contention, with Rensch surprisingly named in the starting line-up in Istanbul and Naples. Rotation is also on the cards at the back, the department with the most players available. Leonardo Balerdi has put behind him a tough setback and will start. Mario Hermoso has recovered after not being at his best and is also available. Gianluca Mancini is likely to miss out, having run low on energy and been among the weakest performers of the season so far, with some physical complaints picked up on international duty that have never fully cleared. Daniele Aloisi, writing in Il Messaggero, reports that Daniele Ghilardi is looking for minutes and consistency and could take Mancini's place. Evan N'Dicka is the defender in the best form, and Gasperini does not want to do without him. If N'Dicka plays, Balerdi will operate on the left of the centre-back pairing. If N'Dicka rests, Balerdi will move into the middle with Hermoso alongside him. Gasperini will settle those doubts in the coming hours. Roma's focus then turns to Old Trafford, where the hope is that, for once, the 'theatre of dreams' does not turn back into a nightmare.

Paulo Dybala will not be available for Roma's away trip to Udinese on Saturday 31 October at 18:00 at the Bluenergy Arena, despite head coach Gian Piero Gasperini's optimism about his recovery. Roma are facing a demanding run of fixtures and arrive at the match with several important absences. According to Il Tempo, Gasperini is waiting for the Argentine forward, known as La Joya, to return. Dybala was left out of the squad for the match against Cagliari, despite rejoining the group training on Sunday. He has suffered no setbacks and the injury has fully healed, but he was not called up as a precaution. Before the Cagliari game he had felt a minor discomfort, and the medical staff preferred not to take a risk. The focus now is on getting Dybala back for the UEFA Champions League clash with Manchester United on 3 November.