Torri backs Pellegrini to start against Como; Valdarchi: title race still too early to call

Rome's radio stations offered contrasting assessments of Lorenzo Pellegrini's role as Roma prepare for a match against Como. Lorenzo Pes of Tele Radio Stereo expressed concern about Pellegrini's fit in the current squad. "I struggle to imagine him in this Roma team," Pes said. "It's a side playing at a very high tempo, and he seems a player a long way from that shape. He limited the damage in a Roma that wasn't operating at this pace, but honestly I find it difficult to see him playing this kind of football. I think he needs to take steps to play in a Roma that operates this way." Piero Torri of Radio Manà Manà offered a more positive view, noting that Pellegrini had delivered strong performances during Roma's Conference League campaign and should not be underestimated. Torri suggested that Pellegrini could start ahead of competing midfielders Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora, both of whom had been on international duty. Simone Valdarchi cautioned against drawing early conclusions about the title race, remarking that Como could provide greater conviction but that judging the season this soon was premature. Roberto Pruzzo of Radio Radio focused on Como's tactical threat, highlighting Nico Paz and Paulo Dybala as crucial to the contest. He emphasized that Niccolò Pisilli's current form offered a dynamic midfield alternative to Marten de Roon, whose inclusion could make Roma's approach too predictable against Como's quality-based approach. Pruzzo noted the importance of whether Dybala's ability to unlock Donyell Malen could prove decisive, given the spaces Como typically concedes.

Roma are preparing a January move for Chelsea winger Jamie Gittens on loan, with head coach Gasperini already in agreement with the player. Gittens has struggled for first-team opportunities at Chelsea, appearing only 55 minutes in cup competition and never in the Premier League this season. His representatives have sought clarification from the club about a possible departure. Last summer Roma made a strong push to sign him, attracted by the prospect of reuniting him with Donyell Malen, with whom he played at Dortmund. Chelsea refused a loan deal at that time unless it involved midfielder Manu Koné in exchange. The situation is expected to shift in January. Alonso does not favour Gittens, and Chelsea are now open to a loan with a purchase option to prevent his value depreciating further. Roma remain interested and would be frontrunners if a deal materializes, given that Gittens had already agreed to join Gasperini's project. The club are also monitoring Frosinone's Giorgi Kvernadze, a Georgian player who has not yet received official contact but interests Gasperini for both the current season and future planning. Roma are considering blocking a move now ahead of a summer transfer, with a fee around €25 million being discussed for the 2027 window.

Lorenzo Pellegrini announced he is fully fit and eager to resume after six months out of action, speaking at an event where he received the Colalucci award. The midfielder, who had appeared on the bench twice before the international break but was not yet ready, said the three-week gap gave him the perfect opportunity to train, push himself and prove his readiness. "I'm finally back at the disposal of the team," Pellegrini said. "This break came at the perfect moment, because I had the chance to work, push and also test myself. I'm very happy and very charged for this restart." Roma sit high in the league after five matches without Pellegrini, though the season is only four hours old. The midfielder's return comes as the club prepares to resume domestic fixtures and chase Champions League duties on midweek. Asked about whether the coming fixture against Como will decide who becomes the main challenger to Inter, Pellegrini cautioned against premature judgments. "It's very difficult to say now. These are the first four hours of the campaign, and then we restart after a very long break. There will also be new things for us: not playing for three weeks is particular, and it's difficult to have to restart. We have lots of matches, because we'll then play the midweek Champions game. It will certainly be complicated." He added: "It's difficult to say this is the match that decides who will be Inter's rival, because the season is long, it's just started and we come from a break that never happened before." Pellegrini reflected on his longer journey at Roma, describing himself as a reserved but simple person deeply attached to the club. "I've always done what I felt was right," he said of his decision to stay. "I believed it could make me happy, and I'm proud of that, because you must never compromise when you do what you feel and when you respect above all the love you have for yourself, for what you do and for where you do it. Here in Rome it's very important to us." He also noted that Roma's dressing room under the current regime is strong and united. "I prefer the dressing room from before," he reflected on past approaches, "but I must say our dressing room is truly a lovely group: united, calm, working, serene and strong. It knows what its group objective is." On the morning after receiving his award, Pellegrini expressed hope that the occasion would bring good fortune for Sunday's fixture.

Rome's radio stations offered contrasting assessments of Lorenzo Pellegrini's role as Roma prepare for a match against Como. Lorenzo Pes of Tele Radio Stereo expressed concern about Pellegrini's fit in the current squad. "I struggle to imagine him in this Roma team," Pes said. "It's a side playing at a very high tempo, and he seems a player a long way from that shape. He limited the damage in a Roma that wasn't operating at this pace, but honestly I find it difficult to see him playing this kind of football. I think he needs to take steps to play in a Roma that operates this way." Piero Torri of Radio Manà Manà offered a more positive view, noting that Pellegrini had delivered strong performances during Roma's Conference League campaign and should not be underestimated. Torri suggested that Pellegrini could start ahead of competing midfielders Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora, both of whom had been on international duty. Simone Valdarchi cautioned against drawing early conclusions about the title race, remarking that Como could provide greater conviction but that judging the season this soon was premature. Roberto Pruzzo of Radio Radio focused on Como's tactical threat, highlighting Nico Paz and Paulo Dybala as crucial to the contest. He emphasized that Niccolò Pisilli's current form offered a dynamic midfield alternative to Marten de Roon, whose inclusion could make Roma's approach too predictable against Como's quality-based approach. Pruzzo noted the importance of whether Dybala's ability to unlock Donyell Malen could prove decisive, given the spaces Como typically concedes.

Lorenzo Pellegrini announced he is fully fit and eager to resume after six months out of action, speaking at an event where he received the Colalucci award. The midfielder, who had appeared on the bench twice before the international break but was not yet ready, said the three-week gap gave him the perfect opportunity to train, push himself and prove his readiness. "I'm finally back at the disposal of the team," Pellegrini said. "This break came at the perfect moment, because I had the chance to work, push and also test myself. I'm very happy and very charged for this restart." Roma sit high in the league after five matches without Pellegrini, though the season is only four hours old. The midfielder's return comes as the club prepares to resume domestic fixtures and chase Champions League duties on midweek. Asked about whether the coming fixture against Como will decide who becomes the main challenger to Inter, Pellegrini cautioned against premature judgments. "It's very difficult to say now. These are the first four hours of the campaign, and then we restart after a very long break. There will also be new things for us: not playing for three weeks is particular, and it's difficult to have to restart. We have lots of matches, because we'll then play the midweek Champions game. It will certainly be complicated." He added: "It's difficult to say this is the match that decides who will be Inter's rival, because the season is long, it's just started and we come from a break that never happened before." Pellegrini reflected on his longer journey at Roma, describing himself as a reserved but simple person deeply attached to the club. "I've always done what I felt was right," he said of his decision to stay. "I believed it could make me happy, and I'm proud of that, because you must never compromise when you do what you feel and when you respect above all the love you have for yourself, for what you do and for where you do it. Here in Rome it's very important to us." He also noted that Roma's dressing room under the current regime is strong and united. "I prefer the dressing room from before," he reflected on past approaches, "but I must say our dressing room is truly a lovely group: united, calm, working, serene and strong. It knows what its group objective is." On the morning after receiving his award, Pellegrini expressed hope that the occasion would bring good fortune for Sunday's fixture.

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.

Rome's radio stations offered contrasting assessments of Lorenzo Pellegrini's role as Roma prepare for a match against Como. Lorenzo Pes of Tele Radio Stereo expressed concern about Pellegrini's fit in the current squad. "I struggle to imagine him in this Roma team," Pes said. "It's a side playing at a very high tempo, and he seems a player a long way from that shape. He limited the damage in a Roma that wasn't operating at this pace, but honestly I find it difficult to see him playing this kind of football. I think he needs to take steps to play in a Roma that operates this way." Piero Torri of Radio Manà Manà offered a more positive view, noting that Pellegrini had delivered strong performances during Roma's Conference League campaign and should not be underestimated. Torri suggested that Pellegrini could start ahead of competing midfielders Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora, both of whom had been on international duty. Simone Valdarchi cautioned against drawing early conclusions about the title race, remarking that Como could provide greater conviction but that judging the season this soon was premature. Roberto Pruzzo of Radio Radio focused on Como's tactical threat, highlighting Nico Paz and Paulo Dybala as crucial to the contest. He emphasized that Niccolò Pisilli's current form offered a dynamic midfield alternative to Marten de Roon, whose inclusion could make Roma's approach too predictable against Como's quality-based approach. Pruzzo noted the importance of whether Dybala's ability to unlock Donyell Malen could prove decisive, given the spaces Como typically concedes.

Como and Roma meet on Sunday in a fixture that spotlights two clubs most actively invested in youth development. The pair have the lowest average squad ages in Serie A: Como at 24.5 years and Roma at 25.8 years, ahead of Milan (26.5) and Juventus (26.8). Napoli lag furthest behind at 28.5 years. Both clubs field multiple players under 23 in prominent roles, with Como deploying Diao, Paz, Liberali, Ramon, Valle, Rodriguez and Baturina, while Roma call on Pisilli, Mora, Lulli, Wesley, Castro, Soulé and Ghilardi. The matchup represents a broader strategic commitment to the future across both squads. Roma and Como have both made future-focused recruitment a priority and plan to continue doing so in the next transfer window whilst maintaining experienced depth. Roma blend youth with senior players including Paulo Dybala, Bryan Cristante and Mario Hermoso. Como similarly pair development with established figures such as Milla, Butez and Douvikas under Fabregas. The contrast in playing styles is notable—both clubs seek to dominate opponents and entertain—yet they share this generational philosophy. Monza and Frosinone currently lead the league's average age table at 23.8 years, having reached matchday five. However, the quality of young talent matters as much as the statistical average. Neither Roma nor Como lack for that calibre of prospect, positioning the two clubs as genuine title contenders built on youth rather than veteran squads.

Roma's long legal dispute with former sporting director Gianluca Petrachi has come to an end after Italy's Court of Cassation made final a dismissal decision handed down by the club in July 2020. The case centred on a message Petrachi sent to then-president James Pallotta, whom he called "a small man", and further accusations that the court found contained "extremely grave insults" and allusions to alleged offences by the club's leadership. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini is building Roma around a squad with the lowest average age among Serie A's top sides—alongside Como. Pisilli is now a regular in rotation, and behind him Gasperini can call on several Under-23 players: Mora, Lulli, Wesley, Ghilardi, Castro and Soulé. That youth-focused project will be tested when Roma travel to Como, with both clubs representing two of Serie A's youngest squads. After the international break, Roma face a decisive month: from the Como fixture through Roma-Sassuolo on 7 November, they will play nine matches in 28 days. Three of those are Champions League games against Real Madrid, Slovan Bratislava and Manchester United, alongside a Serie A clash with Napoli. Gasperini has already made no secret of his ambitions, and the stretch will serve as a true measure of how far the squad can go.