Soulé impresses Scaloni with first-team chance looming; Balerdi and Castro await Argentina decisions

Evan N'Dicka featured for the full 90 minutes as Ivory Coast defeated Somalia 0–2 in an international fixture. The Roma defender was on the pitch throughout the late comeback, with Gboho opening the scoring in the 89th minute and Touré sealing victory at 90+5. The win moves Ivory Coast to second place in Group C with 6 points from two wins in two matches, level on points with Gambia at the top of the standings. N'Dicka continues his involvement with his national team during the international break.

Roma returned to training on the afternoon of 29 September following four days of rest granted by head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. The squad worked with the players available at Trigoria while awaiting the return of 12 squad members involved with their national teams during the international break. Wesley, Cristante and Malen undertook differentiated training after withdrawing from their respective national team commitments due to physical issues. The rest of the group completed a session split between tactical work and field drills. Roma are preparing for their return to action on 11 October, when they face Como at the Stadio Sinigaglia.

AS Roma have prevented Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina from travelling to Argentina for an event scheduled for 6 October surrounding the Argentina vs Benin match. The club cited sporting and logistical reasons for the decision, specifically the duration of the intercontinental journey and the proximity of Roma's official fixtures. Both players were part of Argentina's 2022 World Cup-winning squad alongside Lionel Messi, and the event carries significance for them. However, Roma's management determined that releasing them would conflict with the club's immediate competitive schedule. The decision reflects the tension between international commitment and domestic club priorities during a congested fixture calendar. The club issued an official statement saying: "AS Roma communicates that Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina will not participate in the event organised in Argentina for the Argentina vs Benin match on 6 October. The Society recognises the value of the appointment for the two players, linked to Lionel Messi and protagonists with him in the 2022 World Cup victory. The Club's choice responds to sporting and logistical reasons, linked to the duration of the intercontinental journey and the proximity of official commitments. AS Roma expresses the utmost respect for Lionel Messi and his extraordinary career, wishing him and the Argentine Federation a special evening."

Evan N'Dicka will start for Ivory Coast in their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Somalia today, with new Ivory Coast manager Renard continuing to deploy the Roma defender in the centre of the pitch. N'Dicka has recently returned to international football after missing the last World Cup through injury. N'Dicka is the sole Roma player on duty in the African qualifiers today. Three other Giallorossi have been unavailable: Santiago Castro, Matías Soulé and Leonardo Balerdi. Soulé will target a starting place when Argentina face Bolivia on Wednesday night.

Matías Soulé has caught Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni's attention in training ahead of Wednesday night's friendly against Bolivia, kickoff 2 a.m. Italian time, and could earn a starting role. The Roma winger, who became a father hours before the session, has impressed Scaloni enough to compete for a place in the line-up, reportedly vying with Mastantuono for the chance to start. Soulé is among three Roma players in Argentina's squad for the fixture. Santiago Castro will not start in attack, with Lautaro Martinez and Julián Álvarez preferred upfront. Defender Leonardo Balerdi is also expected to begin on the bench, with Lisandro Martínez and Germán Romero forming the defensive pairing instead. Other Roma players have already featured during the international break: Manu Koné and Gianluca Mancini appeared for their respective national teams.

Roma's transfer activity over the summer has reinforced the club's historic connection with Argentina, adding Paulo Dybala and Matías Soulé to three further Argentine arrivals: Nahuel Molina, Santiago Castro, and Leonardo Balerdi. No nation has been represented more heavily in Roma's history than Argentina: 41 Argentine players have worn the giallorossi shirt since the club's foundation in 1927. A secondary pattern, particularly pronounced from the 1990s onwards, links Roma to Boca Juniors specifically. Many of the Argentine players Roma has signed since Caniggia's era wore the Boca shirt before joining Roma, and in several cases returned there to finish their careers. Caniggia himself spent four seasons at Boca after his Roma spell, recording 58 appearances and 22 goals. In the 1990s and early 2000s, other significant names followed: Abel Balbo, Gabriel Batistuta, and Walter Samuel. Batistuta scored 13 goals in 30 appearances for Boca before moving to Florence and then Roma. Samuel won the Copa Libertadores with Boca in 77 appearances and 4 goals, then joined Roma in the year of the club's last Serie A title in 2001 for 25 billion lire. Other notable connections include Nicolas Burdisso and two midfielders central to Argentina's recent history: Fernando Gago, who made two separate moves between Roma and Boca with 70 appearances initially and 85 in his final stint before retirement, and Leandro Paredes, discovered by Sabatini at Boca and now returned to play at home. Diego Perotti played two loan matches at Boca from Sevilla before later joining Genoa and working with Gasperini. Molina was born and raised at Boca before transferring to Rosario Central. Since Caniggia in the early 1990s, Roma has signed 24 Argentine players overall, of whom 10—almost half—came from or had spells at Boca Juniors. Daniele De Rossi, a Roma icon, also chose to spend his final year at Boca before retirement.

Evan N'Dicka will start for Ivory Coast in their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Somalia today, with new Ivory Coast manager Renard continuing to deploy the Roma defender in the centre of the pitch. N'Dicka has recently returned to international football after missing the last World Cup through injury. N'Dicka is the sole Roma player on duty in the African qualifiers today. Three other Giallorossi have been unavailable: Santiago Castro, Matías Soulé and Leonardo Balerdi. Soulé will target a starting place when Argentina face Bolivia on Wednesday night.

Matías Soulé has caught Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni's attention in training ahead of Wednesday night's friendly against Bolivia, kickoff 2 a.m. Italian time, and could earn a starting role. The Roma winger, who became a father hours before the session, has impressed Scaloni enough to compete for a place in the line-up, reportedly vying with Mastantuono for the chance to start. Soulé is among three Roma players in Argentina's squad for the fixture. Santiago Castro will not start in attack, with Lautaro Martinez and Julián Álvarez preferred upfront. Defender Leonardo Balerdi is also expected to begin on the bench, with Lisandro Martínez and Germán Romero forming the defensive pairing instead. Other Roma players have already featured during the international break: Manu Koné and Gianluca Mancini appeared for their respective national teams.

Roma resumed training at Trigoria on 29 September with three key players absent from the session: Donyell Malen, Wesley and Bryan Cristante, all nursing minor injuries from the previous week. Malen is sidelined with a knee problem, Cristante has lower back pain, and Wesley suffered a right thigh strain in the match against Inter. All three will be assessed and gradually reintegrated into group training, with Cristante expected to return by the end of the week. Wesley and Malen should follow shortly after. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini is already looking ahead to the major fixture on 11 October despite the upcoming Como match still some distance away. All three injured players are expected to start when fit. The squad will feature a battle for the playmaker role between Rodrigo Mora and Matías Soulé, while a defensive duel looms between Evan N'Dicka and Leonardo Balerdi. Lorenzo Pellegrini is among those in contention but is unlikely to feature from the start.

Matías Soulé has caught Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni's attention in training ahead of Wednesday night's friendly against Bolivia, kickoff 2 a.m. Italian time, and could earn a starting role. The Roma winger, who became a father hours before the session, has impressed Scaloni enough to compete for a place in the line-up, reportedly vying with Mastantuono for the chance to start. Soulé is among three Roma players in Argentina's squad for the fixture. Santiago Castro will not start in attack, with Lautaro Martinez and Julián Álvarez preferred upfront. Defender Leonardo Balerdi is also expected to begin on the bench, with Lisandro Martínez and Germán Romero forming the defensive pairing instead. Other Roma players have already featured during the international break: Manu Koné and Gianluca Mancini appeared for their respective national teams.

Italy bounced back from their defeat to Belgium with a 4-1 away victory over Turkey in the Nations League on 28 September, claiming their opening three points of the competition. Bastoni, Frattesi and Kayode scored three goals in the opening thirty minutes before Yilmaz halved the deficit early in the second half. Pio Esposito restored Italy's three-goal lead to seal the win. Daniele Ghilardi spent all 90 minutes on the bench, while Gianluca Mancini was not included in the squad at all. France beat Belgium 1-0 on the same day with Oliver Olise scoring in the 88th minute. Manu Koné came off the bench in the closing moments as a replacement for Da Cunha in that fixture. Italy's next Nations League fixture is scheduled for Friday against France.

Italy take on Turkey in the Nations League second round after a heavy defeat to Belgium on Friday, with manager Vincenzo Montella in charge. Daniele Ghilardi starts on the bench, while Gianluca Mancini has not been called up to the squad. Bastoni and Scalvini form the central defensive pairing, with a front three comprising the Esposito brothers and Raspadori. In parallel, Manu Koné is unavailable for France's match against Belgium, with Como midfielder Da Cunha starting in his place. The absences of both Roma players reflect the demands of the international calendar during the Nations League group phase.