Sancho emerges as available option; travel ban for Torino fixture

Lorenzo Pellegrini has recovered from recent injury and returned to full training with Roma's squad, a significant boost for head coach Gian Piero Gasperini as the club prepares for its European campaign. The midfielder had been sidelined by problems that disrupted the previous weeks but is now working normally with his teammates at Trigoria, the club confirmed via social media with a training video captioned "Towards Istanbul". The recovery is timely as Roma enters the critical phase of the season where squad rotation and energy management become increasingly important. Pellegrini's availability gives Gasperini more options in midfield at a moment when the team will need to balance domestic and continental commitments. This comes after Roma secured a third consecutive league victory, maintaining momentum before the European campaign begins.

Roma began preparations for their Champions League campaign with a training session on Thursday ahead of their debut in Europe's elite competition against Fenerbahce in Istanbul on Thursday. Lorenzo Pellegrini trained with the group and is targeting a recall to the squad. The club's focus extends beyond the pitch: director D'Amico has identified a need for a left-sided forward, and Roma are considering Jadon Sancho, currently a free agent. New contact has been made with the English player, with the idea of a pay-per-appearance contract arrangement.

Roma will have no away supporters at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino for the Serie A match on Monday 14 September (18:30 kickoff). The CASMS (Committee for the Analysis of the Safety of Sports Events) has prohibited the sale of visiting-section tickets to residents of Rome province following a referral from the ONMS. However, residents of Lazio outside the capital may purchase tickets, provided they hold an AS Roma season ticket. Free sales for that group begin at 10:00 on Tuesday 8 September.

Roma will make their Champions League debut for seven years when they travel to Istanbul to face Fenerbahçe on 8 September, their first taste of Europe's premier competition since March 2019. After winning their opening three Serie A matches, Gian Piero Gasperini's side returns to the tournament that has been absent from the Stadio Olimpico since the 2018–19 season, when Roma last played in it away to Porto in the round of 16 under Eusebio Di Francesco. The gulf between then and now is vast: that side held De Rossi as captain and featured Dzeko, Kolarov, Marcano, Manolas, Juan Jesus and Karsdorp in defence. Today, Roma take the pitch with fresh momentum and a manager ready for his 35th Champions League bench. For Gasperini, Istanbul marks a return to the tournament after his Atalanta years. Across 34 previous Champions League matches as a coach, his record stands at 12 victories, 9 draws and 13 defeats. His sole previous campaign outside Atalanta came in 2011 on Inter's bench, when he lost 1–0 to Trabzonspor at San Siro. Atalanta provided all 33 other appearances, including his finest hour: the 2019–20 quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain, a result that stings still. Atalanta had led 1–0 thanks to Pasalic until the 90th minute, before Marquinhos and Choupo-Moting scored at 90 and 93 minutes respectively. His last Champions League outing was the playoff elimination against Club Brugge in the 2024–25 season, a 5–2 aggregate defeat. For Fenerbahçe, the wait has been even longer: 18 years since they last featured in the group phase, which was the 2008–09 season. Roma's drought has lasted seven years, their previous fixture coming on 6 March 2019, a 3–1 loss after extra time to Porto. Across all European competitions, Roma have played 111 matches, recording 41 victories, 27 draws and 43 defeats, with their finest hour the 1984 European Cup final against Liverpool, decided on penalties. Fenerbahçe's best European run reached the quarter-finals in 2007–08, when they beat Chelsea 2–1 at home before elimination. The two clubs have never met in an official fixture; their only previous encounter was a friendly on 19 August 2014 at the Olimpico, which finished 3–3 before 35,000 spectators in Roma's pre-season presentation under Rudi Garcia. Totti opened the scoring from a penalty at 26 minutes; Bruno Alves equalised from a free-kick six minutes later. Kuyt and Sow put Fenerbahçe 3–1 up in the second half before Mattia Destro's double at 82 and 86 minutes secured a draw. Salih Uçan, who had transferred from Fenerbahçe to Roma weeks before, appeared for Roma in that second half. Romelu Lukaku, who spent one season at Roma as their centre-forward two years ago, will lead Fenerbahçe's attack. He scored 21 goals in 47 appearances for Roma—13 in Serie A, 7 in the Europa League and 1 in the Coppa Italia—under both Mourinho and De Rossi before joining Napoli. Mason Greenwood, the English forward who came close to signing for Roma this summer before Fenerbahçe's intervention secured his services with a substantial offer, will also feature. Mattéo Guendouzi, the French midfielder, is suspended for four match days by UEFA—two of them suspended for a year—following the incident in the playoff against Lyon, and will miss Roma's visit and the subsequent match against Aston Villa. Vedat Muriqi, the Kosovo striker who returned to Fenerbahçe after a spell at Mallorca, has already scored three goals in seven appearances this season, including the decisive strike in a 2–1 win over Lyon that sealed qualification. Jayden Oosterwolde, the defender, was due to join Roma after arriving at Ciampino on 25 August, but a medical examination revealed a serious issue with his left thigh beyond the initial diagnosis. After Roma attempted to renegotiate and Fenerbahçe refused, he returned to Istanbul and underwent surgery in Finland on 1 September; he will watch from the sidelines.

Fenerbahçe will host Roma in the opening match of the Champions League league phase on Thursday at 18.45 at the Şükrü Saraçoğlu Stadium in Istanbul. The Turkish side face the fixture with several significant absences. Mateo Guendouzi is suspended after events at the final whistle of the Lyon–Fenerbahçe Champions League preliminary tie, serving four matches of which two carry a suspended sentence; he will miss the Roma debut. Mason Greenwood is available despite a one-match ban with a suspended punishment running for a year. Marco Asensio remains unavailable after an injury sustained two weeks ago. The former Real Madrid forward has ruled out a cruciate ligament rupture following speculation in Turkey but did not feature in Fenerbahçe's match against Beşiktaş. His condition will continue to be assessed. Fenerbahçe manager Kartal will pursue full recovery of Akturkoglu and aim to build match fitness for Romelu Lukaku, though Oosterwolde faces an extended absence following surgery. Training continued on 7 September ahead of the Thursday fixture.

Roma are prioritising the January transfer window over free-agent signings to strengthen their squad, with left-back Jayden Oosterwolde and forward Endrick among their targets. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Roma had agreed a €17 million deal with Oosterwolde but pulled out after medicals revealed his injury was more severe than initially expected. However, if he recovers in the coming months, both parties are expected to resume negotiations. Roma are also pursuing attacking reinforcements alongside Oosterwolde, with Endrick and Luiz Henrique identified as priorities. Per Corriere dello Sport, the Real Madrid forward has reportedly told Wesley and Brazilian teammates that a move to Rome could materialise in January. Roma and AC Milan both attempted to persuade Real Madrid to loan out Endrick, but José Mourinho refused to release him. The situation could change if Endrick fails to secure regular playing time or underperforms, potentially opening the door in coming months. Milan subsequently signed Omari Hutchison after missing out on their own targets. Roma's continued focus on Oosterwolde despite their withdrawal suggests eventual acquisition remains likely. The club has free-agent left-back options available but shows no interest in pursuing them, indicating they are not desperate for defensive reinforcements. With Matías Soulé and Paulo Dybala performing well in attacking roles, Roma appear reluctant to add another left-footed forward at this stage.

Roma's radio stations have given their verdicts on Saturday's victory over Atalanta, with commentators split between praising the performance and assessing the squad's depth ahead of the Champions League debut on Thursday. Piero Torri of Radio Manà Manà said: "For now Roma are on full points alongside Inter, and these are certainly positive responses. From now until December it will all be a question of injuries: if Roma are not hit by injuries, their squad is sufficient. In any case, Pisilli and Rensch remained on the bench on Saturday, then Pellegrini will return. Without excessive problems, then, the squad is sufficient; in January you can possibly fine-tune something at a quantitative level. In any case, you have 21 players, and good ones too: if you put them on the pitch you don't have a collapse in quality." Torri added that when a team functions well, a player rated 6 can look like an 8. Francesco Balzani highlighted Balerdi's impact as a substitute, calling it "decisive" and praising the victory as "a win in the Mourinho style with Gasperini's football." Antonio Felici stressed that the win over Atalanta showed Roma can succeed even when facing difficulty in the 90 minutes, representing "the victory of self-awareness." Simone Valdarchi echoed the praise for Gasperini's tactical substitutions, saying Balerdi in particular "changed the inertia of the match" and allowed Roma to escape the difficulties created by Krstović and return to dominating play. Nando Orsi noted Roma have scored 10 goals so far and represent "a complete team where everyone can score," calling them underperformers on 9 points in the league table. Lorenzo Pes said Gasperini's next step is convincing Dybala he can score again, noting the striker will want to feature in Thursday's Champions League debut.

Roma have scored ten goals across their opening three matches of the 2026-27 season, a dramatic turnaround from the previous year when the club struggled in front of goal. Last season it took until matchday nine on 29 October to reach the same tally. Five different players have found the net: Donyell Malen, Matías Soulé, Niccolò Pisilli, Mario Hermoso and Rodrigo Mora. The breakthrough is historic. Roma last scored ten goals in their opening 270 minutes in the 1960-61 season — 66 years ago — when they actually netted twelve: three against Bari, six against Udinese and three more against Torino. That squad, managed by Alfredo Foni, finished fifth but won the Coppa delle Fiere. The hope now is to capture a trophy missing since 2022, when Mourinho was in charge.

Gian Piero Gasperini has established his grip on Roma through a commanding victory over Atalanta that showcased his tactical approach. The side launched 39 shots on Carnesecchi's goal, demonstrating the intense, aggressive and dominant football that has energised both players and supporters. The success reflects Gasperini's method of adjusting his system at the right moment against the right opponent—a philosophy forged during last season's bedding-in and now delivering results in this campaign's opening weeks. The manager's use of five substitutions proved decisive in regaining control of the match when it threatened to slip away, confirming that the recruitment strategy of the club's directorship has added technical quality and experience to the squad, even if it remains numerically smaller than last season's group. This enhanced competitive level will be tested from Thursday when Roma travel to Istanbul for their Champions League return. The bench performed with such effect that Niccolò Pisilli was deliberately left unused against Atalanta—a calculated omission reflecting the urgency to bolster other areas. The article notes that by January, Roma require an attacking winger of genuine pace, left or right foot, to complete the squad; had Gasperini possessed such a player for the Atalanta match, he would have fielded him instead of Wesley, who cramped badly before the final whistle.

Roma have begun preparation for their Champions League debut of the 2026–27 season with a clean bill of health. Lorenzo Pellegrini has returned to regular training with the squad and is targeting selection for the trip to Istanbul. Evan N'Dicka and Devyne Rensch are also available, allowing head coach Gian Piero Gasperini to prepare for the competition opener with a full roster. The squad trained at Trigoria on 7 September following their comeback win against Atalanta in Serie A. Roma will face Fenerbahçe at Istanbul on Thursday 10 September at 18:45. The match marks the club's entry into the Champions League group phase after qualifying third in Serie A last season. Gasperini's squad have won three consecutive league matches, a run that has lifted confidence and mood within the group. Video footage from training released on Roma's social channels showed an intense session despite the heat, with visible camaraderie among the players reflecting the positive mood after Saturday's victory. The team will train again on 8 September to continue final preparations for the Fenerbahçe fixture.

Roma's radio stations have given their verdicts on Saturday's victory over Atalanta, with commentators split between praising the performance and assessing the squad's depth ahead of the Champions League debut on Thursday. Piero Torri of Radio Manà Manà said: "For now Roma are on full points alongside Inter, and these are certainly positive responses. From now until December it will all be a question of injuries: if Roma are not hit by injuries, their squad is sufficient. In any case, Pisilli and Rensch remained on the bench on Saturday, then Pellegrini will return. Without excessive problems, then, the squad is sufficient; in January you can possibly fine-tune something at a quantitative level. In any case, you have 21 players, and good ones too: if you put them on the pitch you don't have a collapse in quality." Torri added that when a team functions well, a player rated 6 can look like an 8. Francesco Balzani highlighted Balerdi's impact as a substitute, calling it "decisive" and praising the victory as "a win in the Mourinho style with Gasperini's football." Antonio Felici stressed that the win over Atalanta showed Roma can succeed even when facing difficulty in the 90 minutes, representing "the victory of self-awareness." Simone Valdarchi echoed the praise for Gasperini's tactical substitutions, saying Balerdi in particular "changed the inertia of the match" and allowed Roma to escape the difficulties created by Krstović and return to dominating play. Nando Orsi noted Roma have scored 10 goals so far and represent "a complete team where everyone can score," calling them underperformers on 9 points in the league table. Lorenzo Pes said Gasperini's next step is convincing Dybala he can score again, noting the striker will want to feature in Thursday's Champions League debut.

Gian Piero Gasperini hailed Roma's mental strength after a comeback victory, telling Sky Sport that losing such a match would have been difficult to process. The manager praised his players' composure when trailing, noting that they refused to panic and maintained tactical discipline throughout. "The most important aspect was the comeback itself," Gasperini said. "We didn't throw anything away, we kept the field open and played with lucidity. Even if we had lost, it would have been difficult to talk about it." Gasperini highlighted the impact of his five substitutions, particularly the defensive changes. "The substitutions were very important," he explained. "When you keep attacking like that you spend a lot of energy and risk the match taking a different turn. The changes at the back were important too – Balerdi and Ghilardi came in and we had continuity of action even though they started dangerously." He also credited goalkeeper Carnesecchi as "extraordinary" but acknowledged his side lacked clinical finishing. "We had many slow shots and were rewarded in the end," Gasperini said. On his squad depth, Gasperini noted qualitative improvements despite numerical gaps. "In terms of numbers we're missing two or three players," he said. "Qualitatively, yes – tonight's substitutes proved it. On the bench I still had De Roon, Koulierakis and Rensch, and Pellegrini is out. The important thing is to avoid injuries because numerically we don't have a Champions League squad. Qualitatively we can make changes without drops in performance." Dybala completed 98 minutes and was not injured, though Gasperini noted fatigue from the heat and the physical demands of mounting a comeback. The manager said rotation will become necessary once fixtures intensify after the international break, with potential Sunday-Wednesday-Saturday schedules ahead.