Matías Soulé

Roma's injury crisis is opening a door for Rodrigo Mora, with the Portuguese midfielder set to be given a starting chance as Gasperini looks for answers after the 4-0 Champions League win over Slovan. Lorenzo Pellegrini has joined a growing injury list that already includes Mile Svilar, Manu Koné and Paulo Dybala, and the first checks offer little hope of a quick return: he is expected to be out for around a month, though the official extent of the problem will only be confirmed after an MRI scan. Roma are averaging two injuries a week. With Pellegrini sidelined, Gasperini has only Matías Soulé and Mora as specialist attacking midfielders for Saturday's trip to Napoli at the Maradona. Dybala is targeting a return for the match at Udinese, while Bryan Cristante is back in the squad but needs to regain match rhythm. The head coach has backed Mora since his arrival, but his performances have been more subdued in recent starts. After an excellent cameo against Real Madrid, he appeared more in the shadows when starting against Genoa and Slovan. Gasperini expects more concrete answers from him, and Napoli could be the chance to take a step forward and earn a regular place. The night in Bratislava was otherwise a positive one for the Giallorossi. Donyell Malen impressed with his goalscoring, Daniele Ghilardi was reliable at the back, Wesley showed renewed energy and Nahuel Molina scored his first goal for the club. Gasperini can take pride in having built a side with a strong identity, but the injury problem is the main concern. A decision on whether to start Mora alongside Soulé will be central to the coming fixture.

Lorenzo Pellegrini is set to undergo tests today at Trigoria to determine the extent of his right hamstring injury, and early indications are not encouraging, with the midfielder possibly facing a spell on the sidelines until after the international break. Magnetic resonance imaging is awaited before a full picture emerges. In better news, Gian Piero Gasperini has recovered Bryan Cristante, who returned to the squad for the Champions League match after missing time since the last league break with a problem to the medial collateral ligament. His return is important ahead of Sunday's trip to Napoli, the day after tomorrow, where Pellegrini will be absent alongside Paulo Dybala, who is improving and could return in Udine. That leaves Gasperini with only Matías Soulé and Rodrigo Mora as his attacking options in the final third. Cristante offers a tactical alternative: he or Niccolò Pisilli could play in front of the defence, with the other partnering Marten de Roon in midfield, allowing Mora to be introduced later in the match. This remains a hypothesis awaiting tactical sessions due to begin this morning, after yesterday's light training.

Roma head to the Maradona to face Napoli with an attacking emergency, as Paulo Dybala and Lorenzo Pellegrini are both unavailable. Gian Piero Gasperini is set to field an almost forced front three of Rodrigo Mora on the left, Matías Soulé on the right and Donyell Malen through the middle. On the bench, the only real alternative as centre-forward is Santiago Castro, who is ready to come on during the game after his stunning goal against Genoa and a strong impact against Slovan Bratislava. According to Corriere dello Sport, Gasperini's tactical options are limited. Moving Bryan Cristante forward into the trequarti in place of Mora would weaken the midfield, where the simultaneous absence of Manu Koné calls for caution in managing resources. With Pisilli and De Roon starting in the centre of the pitch, Roma would risk having no fresh legs to bring on mid-match. For this reason, starting the young Mora from the first minute looks the most logical and likely route to keep the team balanced. Despite the absences, Roma arrive in Naples aiming to extend their positive run and stay in touch with the top of the table. The numbers so far favour the giallorossi: 17 points from the first seven matchdays, with five wins and two draws, represent the club's best start since the 2014-15 season. A win would take the side to 20 points after eight games, the third-best start in Roma's history behind only the 2000-01 and 2013-14 seasons. The Maradona fixture also carries an extra statistical incentive: Roma are one goal away from the historic mark of 200 goals scored against Napoli in Serie A.

AS Roma have reached 102 goals in 59 matches across Serie A and European competitions under Gian Piero Gasperini, a statistical milestone reached with their Champions League win over Slovan Bratislava. The club have scored those goals over 423 days of attacking football, starting with Wesley's first goal in the match against Bologna on 23 August 2025. Corriere dello Sport reports that Donyell Malen is the symbol of the team's attacking output, with 24 goals in 19 appearances in all competitions since he joined Roma. The Dutch striker's arrival in mid-January brought a decisive change, turning the side's control of games and chances created into important goals. Matías Soulé sits behind him with 7 goals this season. Lorenzo Pellegrini tops the club's scorers for the season, with Niccolò Pisilli also on 7. Gasperini's system has spread the scoring across the whole squad: 14 players have found the net so far this season. Gianluca Mancini has reached 5 goals from defence, and there have also been contributions from Molina, Castro, Rodrigo Mora, Lulli and de Roon. The team scored 24 goals in their first ten games of the season, yet the coach wants more ruthlessness in front of goal. He is asking his side not to "look at themselves in the mirror too much" and to close out matches sooner.

Roma have scored 11 different goalscorers in just ten matches across Serie A and cup competitions, with Molina's goal at Slovan Bratislava adding to the tally, but an attacking shortage now threatens to disrupt Gian Piero Gasperini's plans ahead of Saturday's trip to Napoli. Donyell Malen leads the way with nine goals, while Manu Koné, Matías Soulé, Mario Hermoso and Niccolò Pisilli have two each. Mora, Santiago Castro, Lulli, De Roon, Cristante and Molina complete the list of scorers. The turnover has not affected results, with six changes to the starting line-up between the Genoa and Slovan Bratislava matches. However, the shortage is now real in two areas of the pitch. Koné is still sidelined, and Cristante will be available at the Maradona but is expected to start on the bench. Pisilli, who scored on his first game as captain, just as Totti had done, and De Roon face extra workload. Gasperini is not fully convinced by any of the options available to him. He could persist with Mora, who looked off the pace in the Champions League, pair Malen with Castro, or push Wesley into the attacking line with Lulli and Molina dropping deeper. Francesco Balzani, writing in Leggo, reported the situation. Sporting director D'Amico has said Roma will return to the market in January, with the priority of strengthening the attack. Gittens of Chelsea and Leweling of Stuttgart are among the targets.

Roma travel to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Saturday at 18:00 to face Napoli in Serie A matchday eight, with Gian Piero Gasperini's side arriving after a 4-0 win over Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League, while Napoli beat Bodø/Glimt 4-3 on the same evening. Gasperini has to contend with several absences, and the problem Lorenzo Pellegrini suffered against Slovan Bratislava adds to his worries. Pellegrini left the pitch with a muscle issue to his right hamstring and will undergo further tests, so his availability for the Maradona is in doubt. Gollini is set to keep his place in goal in the absence of Svilar. Svilar is still out with a micro-fracture to his fifth toe and will only return in the coming weeks. Koné will also miss out, having picked up a first-degree muscle injury against Real Madrid, with his return expected later on. Dybala is yet to recover from a small tear to his calf muscle. Roma reached the Maradona after a positive week in Serie A and the Champions League. They first beat Genoa 2-0 at the Olimpico, returning to winning ways in Serie A after a draw at Como, and then thrashed Slovan Bratislava 4-0 to secure their first win in the Champions League league phase. Hermoso, Molina, Pisilli and Malen scored against the Slovaks, in a practically perfect evening for Gasperini's side, marred only by Pellegrini's injury. Gasperini also managed his regulars, initially resting Mancini, Ndicka and Soulé. Napoli also come into the match after a European win. They beat Bodø/Glimt 4-3 at the Maradona thanks to an opening goal from Politano, a brace from McTominay and an own goal from Bjørtuft. The result, after difficulties in the first two Champions League matchdays, lets Allegri's side approach the clash with Roma with greater confidence. Napoli have also been hit by absences: Favasuli is out with a second-degree tear to his rectus femoris, Vergara is recovering from a calf problem and Alisson Santos is out with a biceps femoris injury. Buongiorno and Neres remain doubtful, the latter with a thigh muscle injury. The head-to-head record stands at 90 official meetings played in Campania. Napoli have won 39, Roma 25, with 26 draws. Roma have not won at Napoli's ground since the 2017/18 season, when they triumphed 4-2. The last meeting at the Maradona, on 15 February 2026, ended 2-2. Ticket sales for the match have been banned for residents of the Lazio region, a measure adopted by the prefect of Naples, Michele di Bari, on the basis of the determination of the Committee for the analysis of security at sporting events and the proposal of the Naples Police Headquarters. The restriction applies to the sale of tickets to Lazio residents in general, not only to the away section. The match will be broadcast live on DAZN, with kick-off at 18:00 on Saturday 24 October at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. Official line-ups will be announced about an hour before kick-off. Gasperini's probable Roma XI is Gollini; Mancini, Ndicka, Hermoso; Wesley, de Roon, Pisilli, Molina; Soulé, Mora; Malen. Mancini and Ndicka are expected to return alongside Hermoso, with Balerdi and Ghilardi as alternatives, while Wesley and Lulli are favoured on the flanks. Cristante, recovering from knee inflammation, could be in the squad at least. Mora is favoured to complete the attack in Dybala's absence, while Malen is confirmed up front after returning to scoring against Slovan Bratislava from the penalty spot. Napoli are expected to line up in a 3-4-2-1 with Meret in goal, Beukema, Rrahmani and Badiashile at the back, Di Lorenzo and the former Roma player Spinazzola on the flanks, Lobotka and Gilmour in midfield, Giovane and McTominay behind Hojlund. Anguissa is a candidate to return to the starting line-up after a spell on the bench in the last league fixture.