Romano shines on Cagliari debut, Mancini eyes him for Italy as Roma fans rue his departure

Roma prepare for Sunday's 12:30 kickoff against Como at the Sinigaglia with fresh tactical notes from a recent friendly. In a training session against Sorianese, Gasperini tested Rodrigo Mora as a starter alongside Paulo Dybala, with Donyell Malen completing the attacking trio. Mora is therefore in contention for a first-minute place. Malen and Wesley completed full training and are confirmed fit to start, while Leonardo Balerdi, Matías Soulé and Santiago Castro completed only recovery work and will not be deployed from the outset against Como. José Mourinho will arrive at the Stadio Olimpico as an opponent in six days when his Real Madrid face Roma in the second round of the Champions League. In an interview with Corriere dello Sport, Mourinho reflected on his time in the giallorossi colours, calling the bond "unique and special". He recalled the fans' reception, the Conference League triumph and the Budapest final, while noting that the split with the ownership came after UEFA sanctions imposed in the aftermath of that match. On returning to the Olympic Stadium: "It will be different. I will have to prepare myself to enter that stadium without the passion of the Roma fans." Mourinho spoke of his relationship with former clubs and his affection for Francesco Totti. Santiago Castro spoke to TNT Sports of his emotions after his Argentina debut and witnessing Lionel Messi's final international match up close. The Roma forward explained that the group aimed to win "out of respect for the fans", stressing that with Messi "there are no friendlies". Castro said he had not fully processed the moment: "I looked at the photos all night." He emphasised the importance of daily work at Roma to ensure continued selection: "Getting to the national team is the maximum. I want always to be there, but I have to earn it." Roma had identified Endrick as an ideal attacking reinforcement, but Real Madrid appeared intent on retaining him. According to Fabrizio Romano, no final decision has been reached and the next two months will be decisive. Should the Brazilian's playing time remain low, Real could reopen the possibility of a loan in January, similar to what happened last year with a move to Lyon.

Roma continue to monitor Endrick ahead of the winter transfer window, with the Brazilian's playing time at Real Madrid set to prove decisive in the coming months. The forward was tracked by Roma last summer, but Real Madrid opted to retain him and Endrick chose to remain in Spain. A loan move could become possible in January if his minutes fail to improve, according to Fabrizio Romano. Endrick has recorded just four minutes of action since the season began, a scarcity of game time that fuels speculation about his future. Romano stated: "Real Madrid closed the door to any negotiation in the previous transfer window, a decision shared by the player himself. However, playing time over the next two months will be decisive in determining whether to complete the season at Madrid or to seek a loan exit after his previous loan spell at Lyon." Roma are monitoring developments closely, ready to intervene if Real Madrid open the door to a temporary move. However, competition is intense—both Milan and Aston Villa are also tracking the situation, keen to explore whether January presents a concrete loan opportunity. Much for Roma will depend on the conditions Real Madrid impose and Endrick's own desire for greater continuity. The next two months will be crucial in determining whether the file can develop into a genuine negotiation.

Roma are searching for a striker ahead of the January transfer window, with competition from Milan, Manchester United and Aston Villa for their primary target. According to Fabrizio Romano, a final decision on the future of the Brazilian forward has not yet been made, with the next two months proving decisive. Playing time will be the crucial factor: if the current trend continues—the player has managed just 4 minutes so far this season—the door could open for interested clubs. A year ago the Real Madrid talent moved on loan to Lyon, and a similar outcome cannot be ruled out as a possibility.

Roma travel to Como on Sunday at 12:30 with the aim of maintaining their position at the top of the table. Gian Piero Gasperini has confirmed that Donyell Malen and Wesley are fully fit after both featured in a friendly played today, recovering from earlier absences. Gasperini has minor doubts in defence but expects to field Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso as his back three, with Leonardo Balerdi pushing for a place after returning from a trip overseas. Marten de Roon will replace Bryan Cristante in midfield alongside Manu Koné, while Nahuel Molina and Wesley occupy the flanks. Rodrigo Mora is set to start as an attacking midfielder, ahead of Paulo Dybala and Lorenzo Pellegrini, with Donyell Malen leading the line. Roma's probable formation: Svilar; Mancini, N'Dicka, Hermoso; Molina, Koné, De Roon, Wesley; Dybala, Rodrigo Mora; Malen.

Roma recorded the lowest minute tally among Serie A's top sides during the latest international break, accumulating 1,204 minutes across their squad members on national duty. AC Milan led the ranking with 2,625 minutes, followed by Inter on 2,352 and Napoli on 2,094. Roma's relatively modest figure reflects fewer players being called up for the four matches played by their national teams during this fixture congestion period. Rodrígo Mora topped Roma's minutes register for Portugal Under-21 with 225, ahead of Evan N'Dicka (Ivory Coast) on 187 and Gianluca Mancini (Italy) with 180. Niccolò Pisilli matched Mancini's total for Italy Under-21, while Manu Koné accumulated 152 minutes for France. The minutes spread unevenly across the squad: Konstantinos Koulierakis (Greece) played 90 minutes, Leonardo Balerdi (Argentina) 79, Matías Soulé (Argentina) 45, and Emanuele Lulli (Italy Under-21) 45. Santiago Castro (Argentina) featured for just 21 minutes, while Daniele Ghilardi (Italy) and Giorgio De Marzi (Italy youth) saw no action. In the broader Serie A comparison, Juventus recorded 1,772 minutes with Como on 1,587 and Lazio on 1,232. Among the top three, Milan's total was driven by players such as Jashari (Switzerland, 295 minutes), Pavlovic (Serbia, 275) and Ramos (Portugal, 275). Inter's Akanji (Switzerland) and Napoli's Lobotka (Slovakia) each played the maximum 360 minutes across their respective nations' campaigns. The international window has added significant load to players' schedules as calendars become increasingly congested with fixtures.

Gianluca Mancini faces a crucial opportunity to revive his campaign in the coming matches, with the midfielder's armband at Como likely to fall to either Lorenzo Pellegrini or Mancini himself in the absence of Bryan Cristante. The defender has endured a subdued start to 2026-27, standing out for the wrong reasons in Roma's defeats to Fenerbahçe and Inter, where he was caught out for goals by Lautaro Martínez. A poor showing for the Italian national team has compounded his struggles. Mancini remains a trusted lieutenant of head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, but the statistics underline his difficult period. His defensive output lags behind teammates: he averages 1.2 tackles per match compared to Mario Hermoso's 2.6 and Evan N'Dicka's 3.3. He is similarly behind in interceptions and challenges. A performance at Torino offered a rare positive, but as Daniele Aloisi writes in Il Messaggero, football can be cruel in how it magnifies the errors of defenders. However, the sport offers swift chances at redemption, and few fixtures carry greater weight than the double challenge against Como and Real Madrid ahead.