Manu Koné

Roma host Cagliari at the Stadio Olimpico tonight in the ninth round of Serie A, and Gian Piero Gasperini has made several changes to his starting line-up. Roma are 3-4-2-1 with Gollini in goal; Mancini, N'Dicka and Koulierakis in defence; Lulli, Cristante, De Roon and Molina in midfield; Soulé and Pisilli behind Castro. Koulierakis gets his chance from the first minute, Lulli plays on the right, and Castro starts ahead of Malen, who is left out along with Mora. Roma return to their own fans after a dramatic 3-3 draw at Napoli, and they need three points to stay in touch with the top of the table. Gasperini was expected to rotate his side for the midweek fixture. Mile Svilar, Manu Koné and Lorenzo Pellegrini remain unavailable. Paulo Dybala was expected to return to the squad but start on the bench. Cagliari, coached by Fabio Pisacane, line up in a 5-3-2 with Caprile in goal, Zé Pedro, Mina, Rodríguez, Obert and Sugawara in defence, Adopo, Romano and Deiola in midfield, and Fadera and Nzola up front. Winks is missing for the visitors because of lower back pain, while Trepy is back in contention. The match is refereed by Feliciani from Teramo, with assistants Zingarelli and Fontani. Mariani is the fourth official, Ghersini is the VAR and Camplone the assistant VAR.

Gian Piero Gasperini is expected to make several changes as Roma host Cagliari at the Stadio Olimpico in tonight's midweek ninth-round Serie A fixture, coached by Fabio Pisacane. Roma return home after a thrilling 3-3 draw away at Napoli and are looking to win three points to stay close to the top of the table. Gasperini is reportedly taking the chance of the short turnaround to change his starting eleven. Dybala is returning towards the squad but is expected to start on the bench, while Svilar, Koné and Pellegrini remain unavailable. On the Cagliari side, Winks is out with lower back pain, while Trepy is back in contention. According to the probable line-ups, Ghilardi and Balerdi could get a first-minute opportunity in defence, while Lulli and Molina are expected to operate on the flanks. Up front, Soulé and Rodrigo Mora are favoured to play behind Malen. Roma are expected to line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation: Gollini; Ghilardi, N'Dicka, Balerdi; Lulli, Cristante, Pisilli, Molina; Soulé, Mora; Malen. Cagliari are expected in a 4-2-3-1: Caprile; Sugawara, Mina, Rodríguez, Obert; Romano, Deiola; Adopo, Maldini, Fazzini; Mendy. Roma's substitutes are Vásquez, De Marzi, Hermoso, Mancini, Wesley, Rensch, Koulierakis, Di Nunzio, De Roon, Camara and Castro. Cagliari's bench includes Sherri, Radunović, Kofler, Zé Pedro, Aurelio, Liteta, Sulev, Massolin, Gagliardini, Trepy, Kevin Carlos, Nzola, Fadera and Ciervo. The match is refereed by Feliciani of Teramo, with assistants Zingarelli and Fontani. The fourth official is Mariani, the VAR is Ghersini and the assistant VAR is Camplone.

Roma host Cagliari at the Stadio Olimpico tonight in the ninth round of Serie A, and Gian Piero Gasperini is expected to make several changes to the side that drew 3-3 at Napoli. Koulierakis is reportedly in line to start from the first minute, and Castro is tipped to take over from Malen up front, with Malen's place reportedly under threat. Ghilardi and Balerdi are also in contention for starts in defence, while Lulli and Molina are expected on the flanks. The midweek fixture comes straight after the thrilling 3-3 draw at Napoli, and Roma will be looking to bounce back in front of their own fans and stay in touch with the top of the table. Gasperini has rotated his side for the quick turnaround. Paulo Dybala is returning to the matchday squad but is expected to begin on the bench. Mile Svilar, Manu Koné and Lorenzo Pellegrini remain unavailable. Cagliari, coached by Fabio Pisacane, will be without Winks, who is sidelined with lower back pain, while Trepy is back in contention. The probable Roma XI is Gollini; Mancini, N'Dicka, Koulierakis; Lulli, Cristante, De Roon, Molina; Soulé, Pisilli; Castro. Roma's bench is Vásquez, De Marzi, Hermoso, Balerdi, Wesley, Rensch, Di Nunzio, Camara and Malen. Cagliari are expected to line up Caprile; Sugawara, Mina, Rodríguez, Obert; Romano, Deiola; Adopo, Maldini, Fazzini; Mendy. Their bench includes Sherri, Radunović, Kofler, Zé Pedro, Aurelio, Liteta, Sulev, Massolin, Gagliardini, Trepy, Kevin Carlos, Nzola, Fadera and Ciervo. The referee is Feliciani from Teramo, assisted by Zingarelli and Fontani. Mariani is the fourth official, Ghersini is on VAR and Camplone is assistant VAR.

Chelsea remain interested in Roma midfielder Manu Koné, according to Ben Jacobs, with the Premier League club reportedly wanting to add a midfielder in January. Koné is currently out with an injury and is expected to return after the international break, but he remains closely watched by top clubs across Europe. Koné joined Roma from Borussia Mönchengladbach in August 2024 on a loan with an obligation to buy, a deal worth €18m. His continued appeal to Chelsea underlines the attention his performances have attracted from elite clubs. Chelsea's interest is not the only pressure on the club's midfield situation, as the London side are also linked with other targets. Chelsea's other reported midfield targets include Scott of Bournemouth and Camara of Monaco.

Roma return to action at the Stadio Olimpico against Cagliari, who arrive after a home defeat to Bologna, with Gian Piero Gasperini missing several key players. Paulo Dybala, despite positive signs in the build-up, was left out of the matchday squad. Roma are also without Koné, Pellegrini and Svilar, and Gasperini has once again called up two Primavera players, Di Nunzio and Camara. The match is the ninth round of Serie A Enilive and kicks off at 20:45. The fixture follows Roma's last-gasp draw against Napoli, which was secured in stoppage time. Cagliari are coached by Pisacane and come into the game on the back of two consecutive defeats in which they have failed to find the net. The Sardinians lost at home to Bologna in their most recent outing. Roma's record at home to Cagliari is strong, with five straight Serie A wins over the Sardinians at the Olimpico, and no goals conceded in the last four of those meetings. The Olimpico has been a fortress for Gasperini's side. Roma have now gone 16 consecutive home league matches unbeaten, with a record of 12 wins and four draws. Their defensive numbers back this up: in 2026 no team in Serie A has recorded more home clean sheets than Roma, who have kept nine, all of them accompanied by a win. Roma's starting XI is set to be: Gollini; Mancini, Ndicka, Koulierakis; Lulli, De Roon, Pisilli, Molina; Soulé, Cristante; Castro, in a 3-4-2-1 formation. Cagliari line up in a 5-4-1 with Caprile in goal. Among Roma's substitutes are Vasquez, De Marzi, Balerdi, Rensch, Ghilardi, Mora, Wesley, Hermoso, Malen, Arena and Camara. Cagliari's bench includes Sherri, Radunovic, Kofler, Aurelio, Liteta, Sulev, Fazzini, Gagliardini, Ciervo, Maldini, Carlos, Mendy and Trepy. The match will be broadcast live and exclusively on DAZN. Viewers will need a DAZN subscription and can watch via the app on a smart TV or a games console such as Xbox or PlayStation, or on devices including Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast and the TIM VISION Box. Live coverage is also available through Forzaroma.info's live commentary and its social media channels on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Manu Koné remains one of Roma's most sought-after players, with Premier League clubs monitoring the French midfielder. He is currently sidelined with a first-degree injury picked up in the Champions League clash with Real Madrid, but his strong start to the season has not gone unnoticed at Chelsea. According to Ben Jacobs of GiveMeSport and TalkSport, the Blues consider him one of their main targets to strengthen their squad. Koné is not the only name on Chelsea's list. Camara of Monaco is also included, and most notably Scott of Bournemouth, who is reportedly Xabi Alonso's preferred option but is valued at around €100 million. After Chelsea's pressure this summer, a fresh attempt in January is not ruled out. Roma, however, have no intention of letting Koné go midway through the season, particularly in a campaign full of ambition and prospects.