Roma begin a demanding nine-match stretch against Como with a problem that changes the mood around the club before a ball has been kicked. Mile Svilar, so often among the side’s most decisive figures, will be absent for several weeks after suffering a stress fracture in his little toe during training, leaving Gian Piero Gasperini to turn to Pierluigi Gollini at the start of a crowded period.
Gasperini explained that the injury came from an apparently ordinary movement in a training session, but the consequences are more serious than the incident first suggested. The fracture is not displaced, though Roma expect the goalkeeper to miss around a month. A decision is still being made over whether an operation involving a screw is necessary; that would extend the recovery. In any event, Svilar is not expected back before the next international break.
“It is a major setback, but a long season always brings situations like this,” Gasperini said. “Gollini will play and has the chance to become again the important goalkeeper he has been.”
The opportunity is significant for Gollini, whose last Serie A start came in March 2024, in Genoa’s meeting with Atalanta, when Gasperini was in the opposing dugout. The Roma coach knows the goalkeeper well from their Atalanta years and recalled that he was once a regular in his side and reached the Italy squad as its third-choice keeper. Gasperini stressed that Gollini has continued to train properly and needs the confidence of the whole group, rather than being treated as a player unfamiliar with responsibility.
Roma will also be without Koulierakis against Como after he returned from international duty carrying a knock. The issue is described as a simple bruise, with the defender expected to be available again on Monday. Gasperini said Cristante remains the only other player not ready, while the Argentine internationals arrived back later than the rest but are in good condition. He also confirmed that Vasquez, previously left out of the squad at the beginning of the season, has been restored to Roma’s league list.
Rotation becomes essential
The trip through the coming fixtures will require a broader contribution from the squad. Pellegrini and de Roon are both available to start after using the international pause to recover, although neither has played recently. Gasperini accepted that their lack of match minutes is the other side of their freshness, but sees no alternative to bringing them back into the rhythm of the side.
“They have to begin,” he said. “There are many games ahead, and in the end some players will start four matches while others start fewer. With such a heavy sequence, and hoping there are no more absences, it will be useful to use everyone.”
Como offer a difficult opening examination. Gasperini credited Cesc Fabregas’s team for earning its standing through results and described them as a side of genuine quality. He placed Inter slightly ahead of the wider group but included Como alongside Juventus, Milan, Napoli and Atalanta among the clubs competing for the leading positions. Roma, he said, must take confidence from their positive display against Inter, while hoping the current leaders give their rivals openings.
The coach noted that Como had altered their defensive set-up in the two previous meetings between the clubs, first using a back three before changing approach. Yet he cautioned against reducing the occasion to a tactical puzzle, insisting that shape is important without being the sole decisive factor.
Roma’s own concern lies partly in the starts to second halves, when they have conceded too often. Gasperini said the staff are examining those moments, but argued that they have generally resulted from individual mistakes rather than a collective lack of focus. He also pointed to Roma’s strong first-half scoring record and said the task is to protect what is working while correcting the errors that have punished them after the interval.
Beyond Sunday afternoon, Gasperini returned to the wider question of Roma’s direction under Dan and Ryan Friedkin. With the owners close to selling Everton, he expressed the hope that their involvement in Roma can deepen as the club pursues ambitious plans, including a major stadium project and the approach of its centenary.
He said the owners must make the decisions they consider right, but added that a club aspiring to become important in Italy and Europe needs an ownership group closely engaged in that journey. Gasperini said his first meetings with Dan and Ryan Friedkin had convinced him that Roma could build something substantial, and he hopes that original vision still holds.
