Svilar continues recovery with social media message of resolve

Paulo Dybala and Manu Koné will undergo instrumental scans on 16 October to determine the severity of injuries sustained in Roma's recent fixture. Koné suffered a problem to his biceps femoris with fears of a muscle tear, while Dybala withdrew with a muscular strain. His entourage has signalled optimism, though confirmation will come after the scans. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini must navigate significant absences for the Genoa match, with Donyell Malen unavailable through suspension and Dybala and Koné unlikely to feature. This will force tactical changes beyond a typical rotation: Rodrigo Mora, Niccolò Pisilli and Santiago Castro are expected to feature more prominently. The run of injuries follows Roma's recent disappointment at the Olimpico, where Gasperini must shift focus quickly to the league fixture without time to dwell on that setback. The enforced absences represent a necessity rather than planned squad management, as the technical staff grapples with multiple unavailability. Genoa will provide Roma's immediate opportunity to bounce back, with the league offering no respite. Former manager Daniele De Rossi will return to the Olimpico as Genoa's head coach. Speaking on the fixture, De Rossi said: "Like the match last year, I prepared it like all the others and was focused on the game. Perhaps having already played against Roma might help me be a bit more detached, but the real difference is that I prepared last year's first leg worse while the second one a bit better."

Roma are awaiting instrumental examinations on Manu Koné and Paulo Dybala, both withdrawn early from Wednesday's Champions League match against Real Madrid. Dybala is suspected to have suffered muscular overload, but greater concern surrounds Koné, the French midfielder who appeared in tears after sustaining a flexor injury to his thigh. Tests scheduled for 16 October will clarify the severity of both injuries and recovery timescales. The assessments come as Gian Piero Gasperini faces the prospect of losing two more first-team regulars on top of existing absences, with Roma due to face Genoa on Saturday evening. The Stadio Olimpico is preparing a new Hospitality area in the Tevere Stand to complement the existing facility in the Monte Mario Stand. Work on the space is nearing completion and the new area could be inaugurated on Saturday during the Genoa fixture, offering dedicated services including catering to Hospitality bracelet holders. When interviewed by TNT Sports Brasil, Wesley expressed satisfaction with his performance against Real Madrid despite the result. "I'm happy, it's nice to receive a compliment from a manager like Mourinho," he said. The Brazilian revealed he had prepared carefully for his duel with Vinícius: "I was telling myself that I had to stop him. I was ready and I'm happy with my match, even though I still have a lot to improve." Gasperini had personally entrusted Wesley with the task of containing Real's attacker. "He told me he would put me to mark Vinícius and that he believed in me. I answered: 'Okay, let's go'," Wesley explained. Commentators offered contrasting perspectives on the performance. Carina on Radio Radio attributed Roma's collapse to individual errors: "It's hard to explain Roma's collapse. Roma played a spectacular match, dominated it, but matches last until the 90th minute and beyond. There were certainly individual errors: on Endrick's goal there's a marking error from Balerdi, on Rüdiger's from Molina. But it would be unfair to blame them entirely: it was a general collapse." Pedrelli on Radio Bruno 101.5 preferred to judge the display on performance rather than result: "I don't look at the result, but at the performance. A great match from Roma despite so many absences, against one of the strongest teams in the world. We're not far from making a real leap forward. Gasperini is the manager I wanted, especially in the answers he gives after the match."

Napoli will be without David Neres for Saturday 24 October's match at the Maradona against Roma after the Brazilian winger suffered a muscular injury. Neres was forced off during Napoli's Champions League fixture against Villarreal and underwent instrumental tests this morning, which revealed a low-grade lesion of the semitendinosus muscle in his right thigh. The injury will require at least three weeks of recovery, forcing him to miss several matches. The setback comes at a critical phase of Napoli's campaign as they prepare to face Roma in Serie A. Neres has already begun his rehabilitation programme following the diagnosis at Pineta Grande Hospital. The club confirmed in a statement: "David Neres sustained a muscular strain during the match against Villarreal. The Napoli player underwent instrumental examinations at Pineta Grande Hospital, which revealed a low-grade lesion of the semitendinosus muscle in his right thigh. Neres has already begun his rehabilitation programme."

Roma conceded three goals in the final eight minutes of their Champions League match against Real Madrid at the Olimpico on Wednesday evening, suffering their first defeat of the season. The collapse has reignited debate about the club's recurring vulnerability in moments of control: this is now the third occasion under Gasperini when a two-goal advantage has evaporated against major opponents. Earlier in the season, Roma surrendered a 3–1 lead to draw 3–3 at home with Juventus, Juventus scoring their leveller from set play, and later drew 2–2 at home to Inter after leading 2–0 in the first half. Gasperini himself identified three corners that became three goals in Madrid's comeback as a key factor, but the article frames Roma's collapse as a deeper psychological phenomenon—a sudden loss of nerve at the decisive moment that manifests physically, comparing it to an athlete freezing at the critical juncture of a match. Roma host Genoa, managed by De Rossi, on Saturday. The club will be weakened by absences: goalkeepers Mile Svilar and midfielder Bryan Cristante are injured, as are Manu Koné and Paulo Dybala; forward Donyell Malen is suspended. Roma will have only 16 outfield players available. The squad is at its minimum, and the team faces the match fatigued by their effort against Madrid and traumatised by the manner of their defeat. How Roma respond will test whether this pattern of late collapses can be arrested.

Roma aim to bounce back from a 4–3 defeat to Real Madrid when they travel to Genoa on Saturday evening. The match kicks off at 20:45 as the Giallorossi look to recover from the dramatic comeback they conceded against the Spanish side. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini will hold his pre-match press conference tomorrow at 13:30 from Trigoria. The Giallorossi boss will assess the fitness of Manu Koné and Paulo Dybala before finalising his team selection for the Serie A encounter. Mile Svilar and Bryan Cristante remain unavailable for the trip.

Paolo Condò analysed Roma's Champions League defeat to Real Madrid in an exclusive interview, emphasising the growth the club demonstrated despite the loss. Roma were the strongest of the four Italian sides to lose in the competition this week, and held Real Madrid at bay for 80 minutes before conceding twice more to lose what Condò described as a painful collapse. Condò highlighted the defensive vulnerability that emerged when Mancini and Hermoso were substituted. "When they came off, the defence fell apart," he said. "We were missing the player who, at 3–3, would say 'we're not playing this game any more and we finish it like this'. Ultimately the pitch seemed to slope in Real Madrid's favour—they always have at least four world-class players fresh on the pitch at the end." He argued that Endrick, the Spanish club's young forward, decided the match and that Mancini's absence was critical: "I believe if Mancini had been on the pitch Roma would not have conceded three goals from corners." Condò noted that Roma's character was evident in midfielders Bryan Cristante and Manu Koné, defender Gianluca Mancini, and goalkeeper Mile Svilar, though he felt their personalities were not fully deployed in the closing stages. On Roma's standing in Serie A, Condò was clear: "Roma remains the most credible anti-Inter candidate, and there are two proofs: they are the only side to have taken points from Inter, and they drew against Como with ten men." He assessed that Roma went closer to victory when at full strength, while in numerical disadvantage they conceded little. Condò also observed that Como, under Fabregas, has fallen behind Gasperini's Roma since that match.

Daniele De Rossi will face Roma for the third time as an opponent on Saturday at 18:00, with the match taking place at the Olimpico. The Genoa manager previously managed Roma and will encounter a team bruised by a midweek defeat to Real Madrid but preparing to fight back. De Rossi played Roma twice before—on 29 December 2025, when the Olimpico crowd embraced him after a 3–1 loss under Gasperini, and at Marassi in March, which Genoa won 2–1. In his pre-match press conference, De Rossi acknowledged that his prior experience facing Roma may help him stay emotionally detached: "Perhaps the fact that I've already played against Roma can help me be a bit colder, but the real difference is that I prepared the first match worse while the second one a bit better." He emphasised Roma's growth since December: "The value of Roma has increased compared to that time in December. It's an incredibly strong squad and yesterday it nonetheless gave a demonstration of that." De Rossi watched Roma's Champions League fixture against Real Madrid closely and was struck by their overall display despite the defeat. He described them as "a truly frightening team." When assessing set-piece vulnerability—Roma conceded goals from corners against Madrid—De Rossi noted that statistics show 30 per cent of goals stem from set plays, making it a wider issue than Roma alone. He pointed to Roma's strengths: "Roma is in good shape, has jumpers and a goalkeeper like Gollini." De Rossi stressed the importance of tactical preparation and respect for the opposition: "I've studied the opponent, our characteristics and assessed our players' condition this week. Roma's match yesterday evening involved great expenditure of energy, both physical and mental. We'll need to be at full strength and, why not, one thinks about changes too. We must not play based on opponents but their characteristics must be respected and fought." De Rossi will attempt to win what will always remain his home, whatever the outcome.

Daniele De Rossi, Genoa's head coach, addressed the media two days before his side faces Roma at the Olimpico, acknowledging the improvement in his former club's quality. De Rossi said: "The value of Roma has grown compared to the one from December last year. It is an incredibly strong squad and yesterday they still gave a demonstration of it." De Rossi has now faced Roma twice as Genoa manager and drew a comparison between the two encounters. He explained that his first preparation was weaker than his second, though he remains focused on the tactical approach rather than the emotional dimension of playing his former club. Last season, when Genoa struggled in the table, the team benefited from set-piece situations; Roma, however, are performing well and possess both aerial threats and goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini. On Roma's defeat to Real Madrid, De Rossi noted that 30 per cent of goals typically arrive from set plays across football generally, making it not solely a Roma issue. He described Roma's overall performance as "truly frightening" despite the result. De Rossi also addressed earlier reports of his sacking before Genoa's victory over Parma, saying: "I voluntarily withdrew myself. I voluntarily slapped my hands when I wanted to touch social media because I know that is where most of the criticism comes from. Instead I walked around the city and never perceived negativity, anger or resentment—only words of support and encouragement, and I will remember that forever."

Daniele De Rossi, Genoa's manager ahead of Roma's visit, assessed Roma's performance in their recent Champions League fixture against Real Madrid at his pre-match press conference. De Rossi reflected on his own experience facing Roma: "I've prepared this match like all the others, focused on the game. Having already played against Roma can help me be calmer, but the real difference is that I prepared the first leg worse than the return." De Rossi was notably impressed by Roma's display in their European contest. He highlighted their set-piece threat, noting that "there are statistics showing that 30% of goals come from set plays, so it's not just a Roma issue." He added: "They're well organised, have good jumpers and a goalkeeper like Gollini. Beyond the set pieces I saw a truly frightening team."