Roma vs Cagliari: Team News, Lineups and Prediction

Roma are among four Serie A sides still unbeaten after the first eight rounds of the 2026-27 season, a record that statistics show has never happened before in the competition's history. Inter, Lazio, Roma and Milan have all reached the eighth matchday without a defeat, with the figures showing it is the first time in Serie A history that these four clubs have done so at the same time. The start reflects the balance at the top of the table, with Gian Piero Gasperini's side among the main protagonists. The four teams have got there in different ways. Inter and Lazio have won seven matches and drawn one, collecting 22 points from the 24 available. Roma and Milan have won five and drawn three, with 18 points each. Neither Roma nor Milan has lost a match in the first eight rounds. The article also links to a separate story in which Gasperini responded to comments by Allegri, saying: "Allegri made an unfortunate statement, there is nothing in favour of his remarks."

Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini has said the club have come through their recent big matches very well, describing the run as positive ahead of the trip to Cagliari. Speaking on the eve of the match, Gasperini said: "Sono state tre partite diverse ma belle. Nelle tre gare ne siamo usciti molto bene, non so se meritavamo di più ma di sicuro non di meno" — "They were three different but beautiful matches. In the three games we came out of them very well. I don't know if we deserved more, but certainly not less." The comments come as Gasperini reflects on three demanding fixtures for the Giallorossi, with his side taking positives from how they performed across the run. The coach's assessment frames the period as a constructive one for the squad as they head into the Cagliari game. Gasperini's remarks were published on 26 October 2026 by the Italian outlet Forzaroma.info, which also carried a series of related Roma stories on the same day, including updates on the injured players and comments on Paulo Dybala's recovery.

Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini has responded to comments made by Napoli boss Massimiliano Allegri, calling the remark an unfortunate one. Gasperini said: "The Allegri phrase? An unfortunate remark. On Roma in the Champions League, the numbers speak." Paulo Dybala returns to the squad for the match against Cagliari. The exchange comes as Roma compete in the UEFA Champions League this season, having qualified by finishing third in Serie A 2025-26.

Roma face Cagliari tomorrow, the first of a run of fixtures that should be relatively manageable, at least in Serie A. Gasperini is expected to rotate the side as he did against Genoa, though not too heavily. Ghilardi and Balerdi are likely to have at least one of them in defence, while Wesley could rest on the flank. Lulli is ready to return at right-back, with Molina or the Brazilian on the left. The real question mark is in the number ten role, where Rodrigo Mora could get another opportunity. If that happens, Cristante would drop back into midfield, probably alongside Pisilli, to give de Roon a breather. Up front, Soulé and Malen are confirmed in the starting line-up, while Dybala is likely to start from the bench. The match comes straight after the crazy 1-1 draw at Napoli, so the focus now turns quickly back to the pitch. Gasperini's approach, as shown against Genoa, is to rest key players without overdoing it. The fixtures that follow are seen as relatively accessible, at least in the league, which gives the coach room to balance fitness and form across the squad. The main selection debate centres on the attacking midfield, where Mora's form will be tested. Cristante's possible switch to midfield would also reshape the engine room, offering de Roon some rest while keeping a settled shape around Pisilli.

Gian Piero Gasperini is preparing further changes for Roma's home match against Cagliari, with Paulo Dybala close to a return and Mile Svilar possibly back sooner than expected. The fixture comes after Roma's costly 3-3 draw at the Maradona, and the kickoff at the Stadio Olimpico is at 20:45 tomorrow evening. The schedule leaves no time to rest, and Gasperini is set to rotate across the pitch. Emanuele Lulli is the favourite to start at right-back in place of Devyne Rensch, and the young full-back's contract renewal to 2031 is also drawing closer. In midfield, Gasperini is considering resting either Marten de Roon or Niccolò Pisilli, with Bryan Cristante moving back into the middle. Rodrigo Mora is a candidate to start alongside Matías Soulé behind Donyell Malen, adding quality and creativity in the final third. In defence, Leonardo Balerdi is heading for a starting place after his outstanding brace against Napoli. The Argentine could replace one of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka or Mario Hermoso, with Hermoso coming off a difficult display at the Maradona. Gasperini wants to exploit the form of the former Marseille defender while also giving some of his first-choice players a chance to recover energy. Pierluigi Gollini will be confirmed in goal. The most anticipated news concerns Paulo Dybala. The Joya trained with his teammates yesterday for part of the session after passing fitness tests on the pitch to check his recovery from a slight calf injury. Today's final training session will settle the last doubts, and the Argentine is close to a place in the squad for Roma-Cagliari. He is expected to start on the bench, with the aim of gradually regaining match rhythm and being ready to start on Saturday against Udinese. His recovery is also important ahead of the Champions League trip to Manchester United on 3 November. Encouraging signs also come from Mile Svilar. The goalkeeper is completing his rehabilitation in Belgium after a stress fracture to the fifth toe of his right foot. New checks are planned in the coming days to assess his healing and establish when he can return to working on the pitch. The latest reports leave open the possibility of an earlier return than initially forecast, which had him available only after the November break. The first target remains the match against Sassuolo on 7 November, but an availability for the trip to Manchester on 3 November is not ruled out entirely, a scenario still to be verified medically. UEFA regulations offer a route here: a goalkeeper temporarily replaced on the list for a long-term injury can be reinstated once recovered, subject to a minimum period of 30 days and the necessary formalities. For Svilar, a Champions League return is therefore not excluded in principle, but it will depend on his actual recovery and the regularity of his position on the list. Further back in their rehabilitation are Manu Koné and Lorenzo Pellegrini. The Frenchman will try to be available again before the November break, with the games against Manchester United and Sassuolo in his sights. Pellegrini's timeline is considerably longer, as he is dealing with a serious injury to his right thigh: the midfielder faces a layoff of at least two months, with a possible surgical procedure still to be evaluated. Gasperini will present Roma-Cagliari at a press conference today at 13:30 and is awaiting further updates from the medical staff. The immediate priority is managing energy levels and finding new solutions to beat the Sardinians, but the gradual return of injured players could give Roma fundamental alternatives for the games ahead. After weeks of crisis, some good news is finally emerging for the Giallorossi boss.

Matías Soulé has returned to a central role in Gian Piero Gasperini's attack after overcoming the pubalgia problems that held back his form early in 2026. The Argentine forward has played 504 league minutes, making him the striker Gasperini has used most so far and ahead of fellow forwards Malen and Dybala. His performance at the Maradona, which included a superb goal that sparked Roma's comeback, showed his personality, his link-up play in tight spaces and his consistent impact in the final third. Il Tempo reports that there is good news from the Fulvio Bernardini training centre in Trigoria on the injury front, as the infirmary begins to empty. Cristante has returned to full training, and Paulo Dybala is progressing towards full recovery. Dybala left the European match against Real Madrid during the first half with a slight calf injury, has taken part in part of the group training session and is pushing hard for a place in the squad for the home match against Cagliari. There are also encouraging signs in goal. Mile Svilar, sidelined by a stress fracture in his right foot, will undergo new checks in Belgium on Thursday. If the result is positive, the goalkeeper could return before the international break. That would open the possibility of adding or swapping him on the UEFA list ahead of the Champions League trip to Manchester United on 3 November, using the rule that allows an injured goalkeeper to be replaced after a minimum period out.

Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini addressed the press at the Fulvio Bernardini training centre in Trigoria on Monday 26 October, two days ahead of Roma's Serie A ninth-round match against Cagliari, which kicks off on Tuesday 27 October at 20:45 at the Stadio Olimpico. The coach was speaking just over 48 hours after the dramatic 3-3 draw at the Maradona against Napoli. Paulo Dybala is the only possible returnee from injury and is close to being back in the squad, with Gasperini saying he has good confidence and will decide that afternoon whether Dybala goes on the bench. Rotations are probable, but will depend on the opponent. Cagliari are coached by Fabio Pisacane. Gasperini also addressed the recent controversy with Massimiliano Allegri. Asked about the impact of Allegri's comment, he said: "I didn't hear it, you reported it and surely it was like that. There are the numbers, the testimonies, the data, on last year's matches. I haven't read a favourable comment on this observation, which was without doubt unfortunate. There's no need to add anything else." On the squad's progress, he said the improvement is continuous, adding: "We have reached a way of playing and facing matches that we can repeat over time. There is growth across the whole squad but also individually in many players. The environment also pushes us to be brave and proactive, to face the toughest matches and always do our part." On Matías Soulé, who has been described as a technical leader, Gasperini said: "Unfortunately he had a stop for a groin problem. But this year he restarted from the first half of last season. The other evening he was extraordinary, but the previous ones were also of high level. He is 23 and sometimes we forget it. He still has margins of maturity in every aspect that can make him ever stronger. He is playing in several roles, even on the right, as a full-back, and the other evening he played as a trequartista and scored. He has an important maturity and confidence. He loses fewer balls but can still improve. He works very well to grow, and he was also called up with Argentina, which is another good sign." On Lulli, who is close to a contract renewal, Gasperini said: "No, there we have four players doing very well. Rensch is doing very well, Molina has a very high performance level, Wesley is now a player of absolute value. I'm happy for Lulli, he deserves it. Everyone's goal is to improve individually to make the team even stronger." On conceding in big matches, he said: "Our attitude is always very positive. The goals are all different; in those against Real Madrid we were more at fault than in Anguissa's, who scored a masterpiece. We are not machines, sometimes we make technical errors. The approach however is always positive." He also praised the defensive set-piece work and said Hermoso had defended on Diomandé, Vinicius and then Endrick against Real. On the three draws in big matches, he said: "They were three different but good games. In all three we came out very well, we perhaps deserved more but certainly not less. We haven't won but neither have the others." On Napoli, he added: "We found ourselves 2-0 down but we came back and had the confidence we could win. Then we thought we had lost it and then we equalised again. We must look at the 90 minutes." On injuries, Gasperini said Koné is unlikely to be available before the international break, while Svilar could return on Thursday or Friday but with doubts. He added: "We hope to have him for Manchester or for the last one against Sassuolo." He said the squad must focus on itself, noting the spell without Svilar and others such as Dybala, Koné and Pellegrini, and that the injuries are a consequence of playing every three days. Asked about regaining possession in the opponent's box, he said: "We have been working on it for a long time. It is not always like that, but looking for recovery even in the opponent's area is a characteristic we have often put on the pitch."

Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini says he is confident Paulo Dybala can recover in time to be included on the bench for the match against Cagliari at the Stadio Olimpico. Speaking at his press conference to preview the league fixture, Gasperini said: "The only possible one is Dybala's, but we'll see this afternoon. We'll try to get him onto the bench. I'm quite confident. Today is the first training session and it already feels like the eve of the match, I'll decide today. We'll probably rotate, but we'll see depending on the opponent." Roma drew at Napoli in their last outing, and Cagliari, coached by Pisacane, come to the capital after a defeat to Bologna. Gasperini was also asked about Massimiliano Allegri's comment on Roma's big-match record. He said: "I didn't hear it, you reported it. There are the numbers, the testimonies, the data, on last year's matches. I haven't read a favourable comment on this observation, which was undoubtedly unfortunate. There's no need to add anything else." On the improvement in the team's level, he said: "It's continuous, the goal is always to get better. There's never a limit to that. We have reached a way of playing and facing matches that we can repeat over time. There is growth across the whole squad but also individually in some players. The environment also pushes us to be brave and proactive." On Matías Soulé, who has been described as a technical leader, Gasperini said: "Last year he had a stop because of his groin problem. This year he has restarted from where he left off last year's first half of the season. The other night was extraordinary, but so were the matches before it. He is 23 and sometimes we forget that. He has room to mature that can take him to be ever stronger. He is playing in several roles, including on the right, as a full-back, and the other night he played as a trequartista and scored. He has an important maturity and confidence. He loses fewer balls but can still improve. He works very hard to grow, and he has also been called up by Argentina." On Lulli, Gasperini said: "We have players who are doing very well there. I'm happy for Lulli, he deserves it. Everyone's goal is to improve individually to make the team even stronger." On whether the team concedes too much in big matches, he said the attitude is always very positive, adding: "The goals are all different. In the ones against Real Madrid we were more at fault than in Anguissa's, who scored a wonder goal. We aren't machines, sometimes we make technical errors. The approach, however, is always positive. On set pieces we have been very solid apart from a few games. Opponents also matter. We have conceded to everyone." On Roma changing defenders during comebacks, he said: "A bit of both. With five substitutions it can happen that you change defenders because opponents bring on fresh and very strong players. Against Real, Hermoso marked Diomandé, then Vinicius and then Endrick. In that role you need fresh players. We also have a good tendency to score in defence, especially in the air. They are very effective. It's part of finding solutions during the match." On the three draws in big matches, he said: "They were three different but good games. In all three we came out of them very well. I don't know if we deserved more, but certainly not less. We didn't win, but neither did the others. The path is definitely positive." On what is missing to win big matches, he said: "They are balanced games, where you play on the quality of finishing. In Naples we found ourselves 2-0 down but came back and had the confidence we could win. Then we thought we had lost it, and in the end we drew again. We must look at the 90 minutes. We had difficulties, but overall we came out of these matches very well. If I weigh up what we gave and what we got, we leave these games aware we played on an equal footing." On injuries, Gasperini said Koné is unlikely to be available before the international break. Mile Svilar could return on Thursday or Friday, but with a doubt. He added: "We hope to have him for Manchester or for Sassuolo." On the squad's stretch without Svilar, Dybala, Koné and Pellegrini, he said: "We are holding up and getting results. When we are at full strength it is better, but over a season it will happen to the others too. It's because we play every three days. Playing this often brings injuries, you have to accept that." Asked about winning the ball back high up the pitch, he said: "We have been working on it for some time. It isn't always like that, but looking for the recovery even inside the opponent's box is a feature we have often put on the pitch."

Gian Piero Gasperini is preparing further changes for Roma's home match against Cagliari, with Paulo Dybala close to a return and Mile Svilar possibly back sooner than expected. The fixture comes after Roma's costly 3-3 draw at the Maradona, and the kickoff at the Stadio Olimpico is at 20:45 tomorrow evening. The schedule leaves no time to rest, and Gasperini is set to rotate across the pitch. Emanuele Lulli is the favourite to start at right-back in place of Devyne Rensch, and the young full-back's contract renewal to 2031 is also drawing closer. In midfield, Gasperini is considering resting either Marten de Roon or Niccolò Pisilli, with Bryan Cristante moving back into the middle. Rodrigo Mora is a candidate to start alongside Matías Soulé behind Donyell Malen, adding quality and creativity in the final third. In defence, Leonardo Balerdi is heading for a starting place after his outstanding brace against Napoli. The Argentine could replace one of Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka or Mario Hermoso, with Hermoso coming off a difficult display at the Maradona. Gasperini wants to exploit the form of the former Marseille defender while also giving some of his first-choice players a chance to recover energy. Pierluigi Gollini will be confirmed in goal. The most anticipated news concerns Paulo Dybala. The Joya trained with his teammates yesterday for part of the session after passing fitness tests on the pitch to check his recovery from a slight calf injury. Today's final training session will settle the last doubts, and the Argentine is close to a place in the squad for Roma-Cagliari. He is expected to start on the bench, with the aim of gradually regaining match rhythm and being ready to start on Saturday against Udinese. His recovery is also important ahead of the Champions League trip to Manchester United on 3 November. Encouraging signs also come from Mile Svilar. The goalkeeper is completing his rehabilitation in Belgium after a stress fracture to the fifth toe of his right foot. New checks are planned in the coming days to assess his healing and establish when he can return to working on the pitch. The latest reports leave open the possibility of an earlier return than initially forecast, which had him available only after the November break. The first target remains the match against Sassuolo on 7 November, but an availability for the trip to Manchester on 3 November is not ruled out entirely, a scenario still to be verified medically. UEFA regulations offer a route here: a goalkeeper temporarily replaced on the list for a long-term injury can be reinstated once recovered, subject to a minimum period of 30 days and the necessary formalities. For Svilar, a Champions League return is therefore not excluded in principle, but it will depend on his actual recovery and the regularity of his position on the list. Further back in their rehabilitation are Manu Koné and Lorenzo Pellegrini. The Frenchman will try to be available again before the November break, with the games against Manchester United and Sassuolo in his sights. Pellegrini's timeline is considerably longer, as he is dealing with a serious injury to his right thigh: the midfielder faces a layoff of at least two months, with a possible surgical procedure still to be evaluated. Gasperini will present Roma-Cagliari at a press conference today at 13:30 and is awaiting further updates from the medical staff. The immediate priority is managing energy levels and finding new solutions to beat the Sardinians, but the gradual return of injured players could give Roma fundamental alternatives for the games ahead. After weeks of crisis, some good news is finally emerging for the Giallorossi boss.

Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has given an update on the club's injured players, saying Manu Koné will return after the international break. Mile Svilar is also in contention, with Gasperini hoping the goalkeeper can be available for the Manchester fixture. Gasperini said Svilar could return on Thursday or Friday, but with a question mark over his fitness. The coach's comments come as Roma prepare for their next match, with the squad's injury situation a key concern for the head coach. Gasperini said: "Koné torna dopo la sosta. Svilar spero per Manchester." Svilar could return on Thursday or Friday, but with the benefit of the doubt.

Gian Piero Gasperini has given an injury update ahead of Roma's league fixture against Cagliari, and Paulo Dybala is close to a return. The head coach said Dybala is the only possible recovery for tomorrow's match, with a decision to be made later on the day. "The only possible recovery for tomorrow is Dybala's, but we'll see this afternoon. We'll try to get him on the bench. I'm confident," Gasperini said. The news is less positive for Manu Koné and Mile Svilar, who have both been sidelined for several weeks. Gasperini said Koné is unlikely to be available before the international break: "It's difficult that we'll have him before the break." There is more hope for Svilar, the Belgian goalkeeper. "Svilar could return on Thursday or Friday, but with the benefit of the doubt," Gasperini said. The coach also outlined when the pair could be back in the matchday squad. "We hope to have him for Manchester or for Sassuolo," he said, referring to the upcoming fixtures.

Gian Piero Gasperini has offered encouraging news on Paulo Dybala ahead of Roma's home match against Cagliari, which is scheduled for tomorrow at the Stadio Olimpico. The Roma coach said Dybala could return to the squad for the fixture, with a final decision to be made only after the afternoon training session. Roma are returning to action after a draw against Napoli, and Gasperini is still dealing with several absences. Dybala is the player with the best chance of an immediate return, and his possible selection would give Gasperini an extra option, although his availability is not yet certain. The news is less positive for Manu Koné, who is not expected back in the short term. Mile Svilar, meanwhile, is nearing a return, which would be a boost for Roma's goalkeeping options. The Champions League trip to Manchester United on 3 November is the key target for Svilar, with the Sassuolo league match the fallback. Gasperini said: "The only possible one is Dybala, we'll try this afternoon, maybe I can take him onto the bench, I am confident." On Koné, he added: "Koné is unlikely before the break. Svilar could arrive this week, Thursday or Friday, with the benefit of the doubt, or next week. For Manchester that would be the maximum, or maybe Sassuolo." Roma's trip to Manchester United in the Champions League is on 3 November, and Gasperini's cautious wording suggests Svilar's return will be managed carefully.