Wesley and Malen enjoy Roma with five-star dinner overlooking the Colosseum

Manu Koné impressed for France in yesterday's 1–0 Nations League victory over Turkey, playing as a central midfielder in Zinedine Zidane's 4-3-3 formation alongside Rabiot and Cherki—a position outside his usual remit. The Roma midfielder delivered a strong performance that caught the attention of France's new head coach. Koné continues to be a key figure both at Roma and for the French national team. His ability to adapt tactically and maintain balance in an unfamiliar position has made him a valuable asset for club and country. Zidane commented on the display after the match: "Manu is not used to playing in that position, I wanted to see this side of him and he was very good in terms of balance." The midfielder's versatility and quality in execution have proven decisive performances for both the Giallorossi and France.

Roma's international contingent made an impact during the first round of matches across their respective national teams. Rodrigo Mora, representing Portugal's Under-21 side, delivered an assist and created multiple chances in a 90-minute display against Bulgaria that drew praise. Manu Koné continued his strong form for France, deployed as a defensive midfielder against Turkey in a different role than his usual positioning, yet still ranked first for successful dribbles and maintained his stellar start to the season. Koné has now established himself as a cornerstone of the French setup under Zinedine Zidane. Roma sent 12 players on international duty during this break, giving head coach Gian Piero Gasperini a chance to recharge ahead of a strong start to the 2026-27 campaign while maintaining focus on rhythm and fitness. Rodrigo's performance underlined the club's expectations following a €50 million investment, with his growth trajectory in a Roma shirt becoming increasingly significant. The break comes at a critical juncture, balancing necessary rest with the imperative to sustain momentum after the club's impressive opening. Gianluca Mancini's display for Italy proved disappointing, marked by an error leading to Belgium's opening goal and imprecision in the first half, though he improved after the break and came close to scoring. Daniele Ghilardi was not selected for Italy and awaits his national team debut. Konstantinos Koulierakis remained unused on the bench in Greece's match against Serbia. Evan N'Dicka returned to action with Ivory Coast, delivering a solid performance in their victory against Ghana. The three Roma players on Argentina duty—Santiago Castro, Matías Soulé and Leonardo Balerdi—face a friendly against Bolivia in four days, followed by Argentina's tribute match to Lionel Messi, a fixture where Nahuel Molina and Paulo Dybala are hoped to appear, though Roma has yet to confirm their release.

Chelsea winger Gittens has suffered an ankle injury during an England Under 21 match against Kazakhstan that threatens to derail Roma's interest in signing him. The incident occurred in the 39th minute, forcing Gittens to leave the pitch on crutches. He has since withdrawn from international duty, and tests are pending to determine the severity of the injury and length of his absence. Roma tracked Gittens throughout the summer transfer window, with the club attempting to bring him to the Stadio Olimpico on loan before the deadline passed. Chelsea blocked any temporary move, but Roma continued monitoring him as a possible reinforce for the January window. At that point, a potential opening existed given that Xabi Alonso has offered Gittens limited first-team minutes in the current season. The ankle injury now threatens to reshape Roma's calculus: the outcome of medical examinations and his recovery timeline will determine whether he remains a target or slips down the club's priorities.

Emanuele Lulli is set to enter substantive negotiations over a contract extension with Roma in the coming days, with talks scheduled at the club's Trigoria training ground. The 19-year-old defender, who has emerged as a key option for head coach Gian Piero Gasperini this season after an eventful summer transfer window, will put pen to paper on a new deal that both player and club are keen to conclude. His current contract expires in June. Lulli's rise has come amid Roma's struggles to secure reinforcements on the flanks. The club pursued multiple targets to provide cover and competition at full-back—initially to replace Zeki Çelik, before Nahuel Molina arrived, and then to offer an alternative to Wesley—but settled instead on promoting the academy product into senior football. Gasperini's faith in the youngster has vindicated that decision. During the current international break, Lulli is on duty with Italy's under-21 squad under head coach Baldini. His agent and Roma's sporting director D'Amico have already begun preliminary discussions on the renewal, but the substantive negotiation phase will begin only in the coming days when the parties meet at Trigoria. A positive outcome is not in doubt, with both sides aligned on extending the relationship.

Wesley and Malen, two key players in Gian Piero Gasperini's Roma setup, enjoyed an evening together at a Michelin-starred restaurant overlooking the Colosseum. Both players were absent from their respective national team selections due to physical issues and are working to regain full fitness ahead of the resumption of Serie A. With Gasperini having granted the squad four days of rest, the two Roma players made use of the break to unwind together. The meal was documented and shared by ARoma Restaurant on Instagram.

Roma's radio stations have weighed in on the club's decision to prevent Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina from travelling to Argentina for Lionel Messi's farewell match, with most voices backing Gian Piero Gasperini's stance but expressing sympathy for the players' position. The core issue centres on fixture congestion and recovery time. Gasperini has reportedly blocked the pair from making the intercontinental journey because they are needed for Roma's upcoming match against Como, with the travel and the nature of the trip—a farewell party as much as a football occasion—presenting a fatigue risk. Dybala and Molina played in last summer's Copa América with Argentina and featured in the same World Cup squad as Messi, making the event emotionally significant. Multiple commentators acknowledged the difficulty of saying no to a once-in-a-lifetime occasion, yet sided with the coach's reasoning. Francesco Balzani (Tele Radio Stereo) noted Roma face a potential UEFA fine in November that could affect the January transfer market, though there is no concern at the club's headquarters about European competition exclusion. Alessandro Fusco (Radio Radio Mattino) argued neither player should even request permission, stating they should prioritize the club paying their wages. Franco Ordine added that Roma has already faced criticism from the Dutch national coach over the Donyell Malen situation, where it remained unclear what physical issue kept him unavailable. Stefano Agresti supported Gasperini, pointing out that Wesley, Malen and Bryan Cristante had already missed international action due to fitness concerns. Nando Orsi dissented, calling it excessive to prevent them attending a one-off farewell. Roberto Pruzzo suggested common sense would ultimately prevail. Simone Valdarchi summarized Trigoria's three pending questions: whether friendlies will be scheduled, when injured players return, and whether Dybala and Molina will depart for Messi's match—with the unofficial answer leaning toward no. Piero Torri criticised the scale of praise surrounding Matteo Nicolò Messi's departure from Roma, stating: "It seems like an exaggerated level of excitement about Romano. Certainly Roma made a mistake in not securing a buy-back clause on this player—they didn't leave themselves a safety valve." The official word on Dybala and Molina's travel plans remained pending as of match day.

Kevin Strootman has expressed strong confidence in Gian Piero Gasperini's Roma side, highlighting the impact of fellow Dutchman Donyell Malen and midfield reinforcement Marten De Roon. Strootman singled out Malen's quality and adaptation at the club. "I know him well and he is a very strong forward," Strootman said. "He has great quality and spectacular speed. I think Roma is the right team for him—he feels important and is showing it." On De Roon's arrival to strengthen Gasperini's midfield, Strootman stressed his experience and familiarity with Italian football and the coach's methods. "He is someone who always gives his all for the team and can help younger players," Strootman explained, underlining De Roon's presence in the dressing room. Asked about Roma's Scudetto ambitions, Strootman remained cautious: "Maybe… let's see where Roma will be in March."

Kevin Strootman, the former Roma midfielder, has praised the club's strong opening to the season under Gian Piero Gasperini and highlighted the growing presence of Dutch players in the squad. Speaking to Il Tempo, Strootman expressed confidence in the direction of the team and offered particular insight into Donyell Malen's early impact. "Gasperini is working very well," Strootman said. "Roma has had a decidedly important start to the season and I hope it can continue like this. They have played some great matches, playing rather well. What is important now is to continue down this road." On Malen's performances, Strootman believes the winger has found the right environment. "Roma is the right team for him," he stated. "He has had great quality and spectacular speed. He feels important and is demonstrating it. I am not totally surprised by his performances, even if probably an impact like this nobody expected. I wish him to continue like this." Malen has impressed after struggling for consistent starts in Germany and England, but at Roma has benefited from Gasperini's confidence. Strootman also spoke about Marten de Roon's arrival, describing him as a player of great experience who knows both Italian football and Gasperini's methods intimately. "Marten is a real dressing-room man, someone who always gives everything for the team and can help younger players too," Strootman explained. "He doesn't need to feel more important than others or be in the spotlight. Everything he does in training and in matches, he does for the group. This is very important for a team that wants to fight for the top places." Strootman also recalled giving Leonardo Balerdi a Roma shirt as a gift, saying he had "completely forgotten" about it until Balerdi mentioned it on Instagram. He praised the defender's early performances. On Roma's title prospects, Strootman was cautious: "Maybe… let's see where Roma will be in March."

Kevin Strootman has praised Roma's strong start to the season under Gian Piero Gasperini, highlighting the impact of fellow Dutch players Donyell Malen and Marten De Roon. Speaking to Il Tempo, the former Roma midfielder said of Gasperini's work: "Gasperini is working very well. Roma has had a decidedly important start to the season and I hope it can continue like this. The team has played great matches, playing quite well. The important thing now is to continue down this road." On Malen's performances, Strootman said: "I haven't played much together with him, but I've known him for a long time and he is a very strong forward. He did well both in Germany and in England, even though he wasn't always a starter. At Roma, however, he found a lot of confidence, especially thanks to the coach, and he is doing very well. The difference is also noticeable in the national team. He has great quality and spectacular speed. I think Roma is the right team for him; he feels important and is proving it. I'm not totally surprised by his performances, although probably nobody expected such an impact. I hope he continues like this." Strootman described De Roon as "a player of great experience. He knows the Italian league very well and, above all, he knows Gasperini's game. Marten is really a dressing-room man; he's someone who always gives his all for the team and can help younger players too. He doesn't need to feel more important than others or be in the spotlight. Everything he does in training and in matches, he does for the group. This is a very important aspect for a team that wants to fight for the top places." Strootman also recalled giving Leonardo Balerdi a Roma shirt during his Marseille days, saying: "When I read this on Instagram, I thought 'really?'… it's been a while, I'd completely forgotten about it. Leonardo is a really good lad, he has started his Roma adventure in the best way and I hope he can continue like this." On Roma's title prospects, Strootman said: "Maybe… let's see where Roma will be in March. In the meantime, I'll keep playing with my daughters, then we can chat again."