Roma vs Cagliari: Molina or Wesley in contention on the left as Gasperini seeks a return to winning

At least 1,300 Roma supporters are expected at the Dacia Arena for Udinese v Roma, after the away tickets sold out within a few days. The neighbouring sector has also sold out, and the home stadium is likely to be filled with Roma fans. The two sets of supporters are linked by a friendship between their ultras, and several fans will also be scattered across other parts of the stadium. The match is scheduled for Saturday at 18:00. The fixture comes three days before Roma's trip to Manchester, where an exodus of Roma fans is also expected at Old Trafford. More than 3,000 are set to travel to England for that match. The travelling support in both cities underlines the size of the following Roma are taking into the coming week. The travelling numbers show how strongly Roma supporters are backing the club across both fixtures, with the Udinese away end and the Manchester trip expected to be among the biggest displays of the week.

Roma host Cagliari at the Stadio Olimpico in a midweek fixture, with the chance to stay close to the top of the table and hope for slip-ups from their rivals. Gian Piero Gasperini's side come into the match after a 1-1 draw...

Roma host Cagliari at the Stadio Olimpico in the ninth round of Serie A, with more than 60,000 fans expected to pack the stadium to push Gasperini's side to victory. The club has published its usual information for supporters attending the match. The game comes just three days after Roma drew 0-0... [placeholder removed]

Former Roma striker Roberto Pruzzo has said the club must bring in a forward in January to replace Rodrigo Mora. Speaking on Radio Radio Mattino (104.5), Pruzzo said: "Il Cagliari è in caduta libera, sono in difficoltà e la Roma ne deve approfittare. È importante trovare i tre punti e con la qualità dei giocatori può farcela. Poi deve iniziare anche a fare punti in Champions League contro il Manchester United. La Roma a gennaio deve prendere un attaccante al posto di Mora." In translation, Pruzzo said: "Cagliari are in freefall and are in difficulty, and Roma must take advantage. It is important to find the three points, and with the quality of the players they can do it. Then they must also start picking up points in the Champions League against Manchester United. Roma must sign a striker in January to replace Mora." Piero Torri, speaking on Radio Manà Manà (90.9), said: "Siamo alla sesta partita di un ciclo di nove e temo che possano sentirsi le fatiche fisiche e mentali delle gare precedenti. La Roma deve vincere per continuare ad aggiungere consapevolezza ed autostima e spero ci riesca senza faticare troppo." In translation: "We are at the sixth match of a cycle of nine, and I fear the physical and mental fatigue of the previous games may be felt. Roma must win to keep adding confidence and self-esteem, and I hope they manage it without struggling too much."

Roma and Juventus have reportedly identified Genoa midfielder Samuel Wiafe, a 2008-born player, as a prospect to strengthen their midfield. Scouts from several of Serie A's biggest clubs were in the stands on Sunday to watch him closely, and both clubs are said to be evaluating him with a long-term view. Genoa bought the player in the summer from Modena for 2.5 million plus bonuses. In Roma's own news, Rodrigo Mora could get a first-team start against Cagliari. With Lorenzo Pellegrini out and Paulo Dybala at best likely to be on the bench, the Portuguese hopes to find room in his natural role. According to Il Messaggero, Gasperini sees Mora not as an alternative to Matías Soulé but mainly as the deputy for Dybala: a pure number ten, to be involved more between the lines and in the final pass. Roma's match against Cagliari at the Stadio Olimpico is expected to draw around 60,000 spectators. It is the last home game before a double away trip: the Giallorossi travel to Udine on Saturday, then remain in Friuli to train on Sunday before leaving from Trieste for England, where they face Manchester United in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Rodrigo Mora is set for another start for Roma against Cagliari at the Stadio Olimpico tonight, as he looks to answer doubts over his form and consistency. With Lorenzo Pellegrini and Paulo Dybala absent, Dybala is initially set to begin on the bench, and Mora has been given the opportunity to make an impact. Mora arrived in the capital as a major investment, with an estimated value of around fifty million, and the 2007-born Portuguese midfielder has so far struggled to live up to expectations. According to Il Messaggero, Gian Piero Gasperini sees Mora as, in effect, Dybala's deputy. However, sharing the pitch with the Argentine, or being asked to play in different roles such as on the left flank, has limited his natural explosiveness and his freedom on the edge of the attacking midfield. Gasperini has defended him publicly, praising his talent and his growing personality, while stressing that he needs to contribute more in front of goal. The Cagliari match is presented as the ideal chance to restart from simple things, rediscovering the calm and enjoyment in the game that marked his debut this season. The fixture comes amid a congested schedule, with Roma needing consistent performances from their squad options. Mora's chance to show his quality is now firmly in his own hands.

Roma return to action tonight at the Stadio Olimpico against Cagliari, aiming to get back to winning ways after a draw with Napoli. Paulo Dybala is back in the squad but will start on the bench. Matías Soulé, Mora and Donyell Malen are expected up front, with Lulli on the right side of the defence. On the left, Nahuel Molina and Wesley are in a head-to-head battle for a starting place. Mario Hermoso and Marten de Roon are rested. The predicted line-ups in the Roman press largely agree on a 3-4-2-1 shape. Gollini starts in goal, with Ghilardi, Evan N'Dicka and Leonardo Balerdi in the back three, and Cristante and Pisilli in central midfield. Il Messaggero, Corriere della Sera and Il Tempo all pick Gianluca Mancini in place of Ghilardi and Wesley in place of Molina. Corriere della Sera and Il Tempo both switch to a 3-4-1-2, with Mora and Soulé behind Malen. Leggo is the outlier, placing Hermoso in the back three alongside Ghilardi and Balerdi. The lineups show how much rotation Roma are considering for the Cagliari match, with several first-choice players either on the bench or resting. Balerdi appears in every projected starting eleven, and Malen leads the attack in all six predictions. Dybala's role as a substitute will be the main talking point for fans if he is not called into the starting line-up.

Roma host Cagliari at the Stadio Olimpico tonight, and Gian Piero Gasperini is relying on Matías Soulé, who has been among the team's best performers in recent outings and is ready to lead the attack. Paulo Dybala is named among the substitutes and is expected to come on during the match as he returns gradually from a muscle problem. The coach is weighing options to complete the front three, where Donyell Malen and Santiago Castro are pushing for starting places, with Rodrigo Mora supporting from the wide attacking areas. Roma have finished a run of demanding fixtures and face a calendar that looks easier on paper. After recent draws, the side need to return to winning consistently and leave the recent controversies behind in order to strengthen their ambitions at the top of the table. Gasperini values the rotation options the squad now has to manage energy levels during this autumn schedule. According to Il Corriere della Sera, Soulé's transformation is one of the central themes of the season so far. After a summer spent at the centre of transfer speculation, and with the after-effects of a sports hernia (pubalgia) that had restricted his performances last season, the Argentine has turned the pecking order around through daily work. Gasperini has praised his consistency, saying that his technical and character growth offers decisive solutions in the development of the attacking play. Alongside the quality of the former Juventus player, Roma regain solidity and important rotation options.

Matías Soulé has turned his season around in two months, delivering what Il Corriere della Sera's Davide Stoppini describes as the best performance of his Roma career in the win at Napoli, where Roma came from behind. Roma were trailing in that match before recovering, and Soulé was the driving force throughout. Just two months ago the forward had spent a summer with a "for sale" tag hanging around his neck. Back from his holidays, he was stopped by reporters at Fiumicino asking whether he would stay at the club, and he could not even answer. Gasperini also made no secret in his press conference that the forward had returned overweight. The turnaround is significant because Soulé was criticised last season for often failing to perform in the big matches, when the level of games rose and he could not take control. Against Napoli, by contrast, he was consistent over the whole match rather than only in isolated moments. Stoppini writes that Soulé "did everything well" in the performance. Rodrigo Mora is set to play in the attacking trio as a pure number ten, and will move in the footsteps of Soulé, a curious and not trivial pairing for how the match will unfold. For the third forward spot, Donyell Malen and Santiago Castro are in a battle. Malen is still ahead, but Castro has good chances of overtaking him and regaining a starting place after scoring a goal a week ago against Genoa.

AS Roma have secured the futures of two young players, with Emanuele Lulli and Giorgio De Marzi both signing new contracts running until 2031. Further renewals are reportedly close, with Mario Hermoso and Pierluigi Gollini expected to sign soon. Both Lulli and De Marzi were due to expire at the end of the season, and the club has confirmed them. Four players have contracts expiring in June: Gollini, Hermoso, Pellegrini and Dybala. Il Tempo reports that a deal for Gollini was already close last summer for another season, and that the club is still moving in that direction. Gollini is set to be Svilar's deputy again next season. Hermoso, now indispensable for Gasperini, had an option for one additional year activated in the spring. Initial contacts have taken place, and Gasperini has never hidden his high regard for the Spaniard, who has returned to top form under the coach. The situation is different for Dybala and Pellegrini. The club has opted for a one-year renewal for both players, allowing it to assess their performances on the pitch before deciding whether to make a longer commitment. The expectation is that a decision on either player will only come late into 2027, once the picture of their appearances is clearer.

Roma are continuing to tie down their own players, with Mario Hermoso and goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini close to contract renewals after Lulli's signing was made official the day before. The club's priority, in line with Gian Piero Gasperini's project, is to keep a core group together and then strengthen it. Hermoso is set to stay for another season, thanks to a unilateral option for an annual renewal that was triggered last summer. Roma are working with his agents on a one-year extension, taking the deal through to 2028, probably with a slight reduction in his salary. Gollini is also about to extend his contract, through to June 2028, in a renewal that is somewhat surprising given how his relationship with Gasperini began. The renewals follow a series of deals handled by D'Amico, including those of Cristante and Mancini, which were slightly lower than the figures the two Italy internationals previously earned. Pellegrini and Dybala have also accepted significant pay cuts, despite what has been an uneven run of form on the pitch for both. The news was reported by Il Tempo.

Roma and Juventus have reportedly identified Genoa midfielder Samuel Wiafe, a 2008-born player, as a prospect to strengthen their midfield. Scouts from several of Serie A's biggest clubs were in the stands on Sunday to watch him closely, and both clubs are said to be evaluating him with a long-term view. Genoa bought the player in the summer from Modena for 2.5 million plus bonuses. In Roma's own news, Rodrigo Mora could get a first-team start against Cagliari. With Lorenzo Pellegrini out and Paulo Dybala at best likely to be on the bench, the Portuguese hopes to find room in his natural role. According to Il Messaggero, Gasperini sees Mora not as an alternative to Matías Soulé but mainly as the deputy for Dybala: a pure number ten, to be involved more between the lines and in the final pass. Roma's match against Cagliari at the Stadio Olimpico is expected to draw around 60,000 spectators. It is the last home game before a double away trip: the Giallorossi travel to Udine on Saturday, then remain in Friuli to train on Sunday before leaving from Trieste for England, where they face Manchester United in the Champions League on Tuesday.