This is one outlet's own report from Yahoo Sports — the article as it was filed.
AIPROPX ReportYahoo Sports · 1h ago
Probable Formation: Roma vs Fiorentina
DORTMUND, GERMANY - AUGUST 15: Paulo Dybala of AS Rom runs with the ball during the pre-season friendly match between Borussia Dortmund and AS Roma at Signal Iduna Park on August 15, 2026 in Dortmund, Germany. (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With no major sales to speak of and Zeki Çelik the only player departing so far who played major minutes for Roma down the stretch last season, it wouldn’t be surprising to see many familiar faces in Gian Piero Gasperini’s starting XI on Monday against Fiorentina at the Olimpico. However, with Tony D’Amico having made significant investments to strengthen the squad upon Roma’s return to the Champions League, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a new signing or two given a look from the season’s opening whistle.
To open his pre-match presser , Gasperini gave an update on the status of his squad.
“In terms of numbers, yes, because we can have 23 players on our squad list – that’s what UEFA allows us, particularly for the Champions League. At the moment we still have two spots free, so that’s where we are with numbers. Aside from that, we’ve had four players join us. We’ve got [Nahuel] Molina, who is an important player. He played in the World Cup final and he’s been world champion. He’s already a mature and solid player. He’s come in to replace [Zeki] Celik. Since May, [Artem] Dovbyk and [Evan] Ferguson have left, and [Santiago] Castro has come in. He’s definitely a quality player. Then we’ve got [Konstantinos] Koulierakis, the sort of player we were lacking in defence. We were missing a player with his characteristics behind [Mario] Hermoso. Lastly, we’ve now got [Rodrigo] Mora. Compared to May, [Stephan] El Shaarawy, [Lorenzo] Venturino and [Bryan] Zaragoza have left so we’ll try to replace them. One has arrived and I’m hoping another will too. Angelino and [Kostas] Tsimikas have also left and hopefully we’ll be able to replace them too. We’re certainly reducing the squad but also trying to make it more competitive. Regarding the lads that have arrived, I’m very happy. They’re all players that really wanted to join Roma. Castro took the train to get here quicker and all the others were similar, including Rodrigo Mora. Contracts have obviously been cut, as I said earlier, due to the need to reduce the wage bill. In this respect, I think we’ve done a good job. There are still ten days to go and we’re hoping everything will be finalised.”
Additionally, Gasperini noted that he does anticipate a left-wing signing, but only if it adds value to the squad. He doesn’t expect any sales because those players would be hard to replace so late in the window. That would bode well for Matías Soulé, who is rumored to be out of favor with GPG. Gasperini also spoke highly of his pre-season in the presser.
“He had a great first half of the season and then he had this groin issue. When he came back for pre-seasons, he’d been out for quite a while and had been trying to treat the problem. He arrived quite overweight and wasn’t fully recovered. However, during this pre-season, he’s been amazing. He’s been exceptional. He’s bounced back and I have to say that he’s now in excellent shape. He put in some great performances in pre-season friendlies and has recovered brilliantly, both physically as far as the groin issue is concerned, and in terms of his athleticism and fitness. So, in that respect too, I believe he’s fully recovered and back to the level he was at in the first half of last season.”
Updates were also given on the fitness of players who entered pre-season a bit late because of World Cup participation.
“Wesley had to miss the World Cup but he trained in pre-season, and fitness-wise he’s in good shape. Ndicka and Malen came back a bit later.
“Ndicka’s physique allows him to recover quite quickly. He struggled a little at the start but he looked good in our last friendly against Dortmund.
“The World Cup had a bit of an impact on Malen, more psychologically than physically, but playing for Roma and feeling important for this team – not just with his goals but also with his leadership – will help him to get back to his best.
“Then there’s Kone, who came back last. He’s another one who returns to fitness quite quickly.
“[Neil] El Aynaoui is somewhere in between. But it’s perfectly normal when you have players coming back at different times and at different stages. It doesn’t take long – just a week or two more.
“Molina played in the final with Argentina too and only got here this week. But he too manages to get back into shape pretty quickly.”
Of the players mentioned who entered preseason late, all but El Aynaoui are expected to get the go-ahead from the opening whistle on Monday. Another player who has looked particularly sharp in preseason and is expected to be the focal point on Monday is Paulo Dybala—ink freshly dried on his one-year contract renewal. Gasperini spoke about what he’s noticed from Dybala.
“Definitely. He’s not just determined – I saw that from him last season too, he’s always very determined – but now I can see that he’s stronger. He’s managed to complete a pre-season without injuries, which he hasn’t been able to do for a long time. Obviously, we’re always crossing our fingers because in my opinion he was extremely unlucky last season. I remember two of his injuries: one taking a penalty in Milan and another taking a free-kick against Torino. They really were rare cases. One of them resulted in a meniscus injury and kept him out for three and a half months.
“On the other hand, from a physical perspective, he seems to me a much more toned player. Of course, he might not have the speed and the shooting power he had when he was younger, but he’s improved in all respects and in other areas too. He’s the type of player that, if you take him off occasionally, can be substituted but otherwise he always finishes matches feeling a lot fresher that a lot of the others. I think he’s in good...
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