Wesley aims to reclaim top form as Roma's final missing piece

Evan N'Dicka has recovered from a hamstring injury sustained in the derby against Lazio and has now re-established himself as a key player for Ivory Coast's defence. The Roma defender missed all four matches of his country's World Cup campaign but has since featured in two Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, recording outstanding individual displays in victories over Ghana and Somalia, both ending 2–0. N'Dicka was sidelined by injury for Roma's match against Torino but came on as a substitute in the club's last fixture before the international break, the meeting with Inter. At Trigoria, head coach Gian Piero Gasperini is monitoring the defender's progress as he manages competition for places in the Roma defence. Leonardo Balerdi, a recent arrival, has already won over the Roma fanbase, but Gasperini has repeatedly stated that there is no formal hierarchy in defence—selection depends on form and match fitness. Against Ghana six days ago, N'Dicka made 99 touches, functioning almost as a midfielder. He recorded four defensive blocks, one interception, one blocked shot and seven recoveries, with 91% passing accuracy across 78 successful passes from 86 attempts (per SofaScore) and one key pass that went unconverted. Against Somalia, the 1999-born player asserted his physical dominance, winning 100% of his aerial duels—six from six. He made five recoveries and two interceptions with a crucial defensive clearance, maintaining 97% passing accuracy with only three errors across 90 attempts.

Real Madrid have been dealt another injury setback with defender Raúl Asencio requiring surgery on a stress fracture to his right tibia. The 2003-born defender, who has not played a single official minute this season, will undergo surgery tomorrow and is expected to be sidelined for approximately three months, with a return anticipated in 2027. José Mourinho will be without Asencio for Real Madrid's fixture against Roma on 14 October at the Olimpico, adding to injury concerns that already include Konaté and Valverde. Asencio had initially been hopeful that conservative treatment following the tibia fracture would suffice, particularly with an expectation that Konaté's injury could have created opportunities for playing time. However, the approach proved insufficient, forcing the surgical intervention. Real Madrid confirmed in a statement: "Our player Raúl Asencio will undergo surgery tomorrow due to a stress fracture to the tibia of his right leg."

Real Madrid defender Raúl Asencio will undergo surgery in the coming 24 hours to treat a stress fracture of the tibia in his right leg, the club confirmed on 30 September. The operation means Asencio will miss Madrid's Champions League fixture against Roma on 14 October at the Stadio Olimpico, with recovery expected to take between two and four months, ruling him out until 2027. Roma are set to host José Mourinho's Madrid side in the second matchday of the Champions League after facing Como away in Serie A on 11 October, following the international break which ends on 6 October. Madrid arrive depleted, with Valverde, Konaté and Mbappé already doubtful through injury before Asencio's situation emerged. The Real Madrid statement read: "Our player Raúl Asencio will undergo surgery tomorrow due to a stress fracture of the tibia of his right leg." Asencio had been dealing with discomfort in his right tibia, prompting Real Madrid to convene a summit at Valdebebas between the player, Mourinho and the medical staff to determine whether conservative treatment or surgical intervention was necessary. The decision to operate removes another defender from Mourinho's squad for the fixture at Rome's Stadio Olimpico.

Roma's training ground atmosphere remained positive on 30 September, with Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina among the smiling faces in footage released by the club. The pair had been withdrawn the previous day from an event organised in Argentina to mark Lionel Messi's retirement, a decision that appeared to cause no ill feeling based on the images distributed by the club. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini maintains a calm environment despite ongoing absences. Wesley, Donyell Malen and Bryan Cristante have not yet returned to full group training and continue their recovery programmes, while international players remain away on duty with their national teams. Lorenzo Pellegrini is working hard to regain peak condition during the extended break and may feature in a friendly against the Primavera to build match fitness ahead of competitive action. Roma face Como in eleven days, providing Gasperini with adequate time to prepare for the Sinigaglia fixture and monitor the recovery of unavailable players. The objective is to have the largest possible squad available when the league campaign resumes.

Donyell Malen spent 29 September at La Nuova Pineta beach in Ostia, taking time to relax before returning to training at Trigoria. The move came after nine and a half months in Rome, during which the forward has fully settled into life at the club and in the city. Malen has integrated into Roma beyond his performances on the pitch, following earlier appearances around the capital including a spot filmed in Trastevere and dinner in front of the Colosseum alongside Wesley. The attacker made use of the fine weather at the end of September to unwind at the seaside facility, as documented in a photograph published on Facebook by Franco Petrini. Malen's target is to return to full availability for the match against Como, with his return to group training scheduled for the beginning of the following week.

Gian Piero Gasperini has changed his approach to Roma's three-week break between the Inter match and the Como fixture on 11 October. The coach had previously indicated he wanted to arrange two friendlies at Trigoria to keep the squad sharp during the layoff, telling reporters: "We would like to do two." However, Gasperini has now opted instead to organize only an internal match against the Primavera. The decision stems from a shortage of available players. Several squad members are away on international duty, while Bryan Cristante, Wesley and Donyell Malen are dealing with injury problems. Rather than attempting to arrange competitive warm-up matches under these circumstances, Gasperini judged a single training fixture against Roma's youth team the more practical solution.

Argentina defeated Bolivia 4–0 in a friendly, with Nico Paz of Como stealing the spotlight by scoring and assisting. The standout performance came from Paz, who has now positioned himself as a new face in the Argentina national team's future. Two Roma players remained unused: Matías Soulé, listed as a possible starter in pre-match reports, was benched throughout by manager Scaloni, though the coach signalled he would give the forward greater playing time in upcoming fixtures. Santiago Castro also saw no action across the full 90 minutes. Leonardo Balerdi was the sole Roma representative to feature, entering the pitch in the second half and helping to secure the clean sheet. His appearance capped a positive run in form that has also defined his performances with Roma in this early part of the season. Balerdi's contribution on the night reinforces the improvement he has shown since the campaign began. Argentina will face Burkina Faso next in another friendly fixture. The fixture will precede the eagerly anticipated clash against Benin, which will serve as the backdrop to Lionel Messi's farewell celebration. Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina will not participate in that match, though both will be present in spirit for what is set to become a historic evening in Argentine football.

Paulo Dybala has accepted Roma's decision to keep him from travelling to Argentina for Lionel Messi's final international match on 6 October in Buenos Aires, a decision made by mutual agreement with the club. Nahuel Molina made the same choice. Both players, despite their affection for Messi and their shared World Cup victory in 2022, understood the club's reasoning: avoiding a long intercontinental trip for both just hours before Roma's double fixture against Como and Real Madrid. There is no controversy, and full focus remains on the Giallorossi. Dybala will have Gian Piero Gasperini's full attention throughout the week, with the aim of returning the Argentine to the scoresheet after his last goal on 18 January. His start to the 2026-27 season has been outstanding. He has been ever-present in the line-up, often decisive, and has created four assists—the best tally in Serie A. His physical recovery metrics also recall his Juventus form. During his four days of rest, Dybala trained in the gym to maintain his rhythm ahead of the encounter with Nicolò Paz. Paz, along with Balerdi, Soulé and Castro, will be available to face Roma just 48 hours after international duty. The 12-year age gap between Dybala and Paz represents a generational clash that does not trouble the Argentine, who is keen to demonstrate to national team coach Scaloni that his best years are far from finished.

Roma's training ground atmosphere remained positive on 30 September, with Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina among the smiling faces in footage released by the club. The pair had been withdrawn the previous day from an event organised in Argentina to mark Lionel Messi's retirement, a decision that appeared to cause no ill feeling based on the images distributed by the club. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini maintains a calm environment despite ongoing absences. Wesley, Donyell Malen and Bryan Cristante have not yet returned to full group training and continue their recovery programmes, while international players remain away on duty with their national teams. Lorenzo Pellegrini is working hard to regain peak condition during the extended break and may feature in a friendly against the Primavera to build match fitness ahead of competitive action. Roma face Como in eleven days, providing Gasperini with adequate time to prepare for the Sinigaglia fixture and monitor the recovery of unavailable players. The objective is to have the largest possible squad available when the league campaign resumes.

Donyell Malen has made a stronger start than Gonzalo Higuaín or Ciro Immobile at the same stage of their seasons, raising the prospect of a historic scoring run. After Roma's victory in Turin two weeks ago, Malen said: "I want to score many goals. I am focused on this, to help the team reach its objectives." He also acknowledged his interest in setting records, adding: "Totti's 6 goals in 4 games? I enjoy these records too." The benchmark in his sights is the 36 goals Higuaín scored in 2015–16 with Napoli and Immobile scored in 2019–20 with Lazio—the Serie A all-time record. Through the first five league matches, both Higuaín and Immobile had scored 4 goals each. Malen has bettered that tally, operating at a higher level than either of his predecessors at the same juncture. Malen remained at Trigoria during the international break, allowing him to manage a knock to his knee without risking unexpected injury or setback. He is expected to be available for Roma's next fixture at Como, a match that amounts to a direct contest for the league lead given Roma's current position at the summit of the table.

Donyell Malen has made a decisive start to the 2026–27 season, scoring six goals in Roma's first five matches—an average of 1.20 goals per game—and propelling the club to the top of Serie A. That scoring rate already exceeds the pace set by Gonzalo Higuaín and Ciro Immobile over their record-breaking campaigns, both of whom had managed four goals through the same stretch before finishing with 36 for the season. While keeping his focus on Roma's team objectives, Malen is not hiding his ambition to chase historic landmarks in Italian football. Beyond the league's all-time record, Malen has set his sights on Roma's own seasonal scoring leaderboard, currently led by Edin Džeko with 29 goals in 2016–17, followed by Volk, Guaita and Francesco Totti. Roma face Como in their next league match, looking to defend first place, though Malen is managing a minor knee injury at the club's training ground and taking precautions ahead of the resumption of fixtures. Off the pitch, Malen has demonstrated his attachment to Roma's fanbase. Together with his wife Delisha, he attended the Tre Fontane to watch Roma's women's team compete in the Champions League against Barcelona, where his presence generated enthusiasm and affection among supporters through photographs and autographs.

Donyell Malen was a special guest at the Stadio Tre Fontane on 30 September 2026, attending Roma Women's debut in the UEFA Women's Champions League against Barcelona. The Roma forward arrived with his partner Delisha and took a seat in the stands. When spotted by supporters, he stopped to sign autographs and pose for photographs with fans of all ages. Roma's social media captured his arrival at the stadium. Malen's presence at the fixture had a particular purpose: to watch his partner's sister, Silver Van Hetten, who has recently signed with Roma's women's youth academy (Primavera femminile). Van Hetten will train and compete alongside the Roma Women squad.