Dybala closing in on Roma return
Gian Piero Gasperini is hopeful he will have Paulo Dybala back in his squad when Roma faces Cagliari on Wednesday.
Dybala has been sidelined since Roma's 4-3 loss to Real Madrid on 14 October, in which he had to go off at half-time with a calf problem, which has since seen him miss three games.
While the Argentine is yet to score in 2026-2027, he has played a huge role in Roma's unbeaten start to the Serie A season, registering four assists in the competition so far – no player has more.
Their next test will come at home against Cagliari as it aims to keep the pressure on Inter and Lazio at the top of the table, and Roma may be able to call upon Dybala once more.
"In terms of recovery, the only one that might be possible is Dybala," Gasperini said, ruling out Manu Kone and Mile Svilar in the process.
"We'll try things out to see if we can have him with us on the bench. That in itself would be a positive. I have a lot of confidence.
"In terms of rotations, it's already the eve of the game, so I'll have to decide. Probably yes, but we'll see based on our assessment of the opponent. We have a squad that is capable of rotating well."
Roma twice came from behind to salvage a 3-3 draw with Napoli last time out, leaving them four points off top spot of Serie A after eight games.
Romaunbeaten in 16 consecutive top-flight home matches, its longest such run since July 2020 and February 2021 under Paulo Fonseca.
Gasperini is looking forward to what more his side can achieve, starting against Cagliari, which has lost its last two league games after a strong start to the season.
"We have continuity, and we have to move forwards," Gasperini said. "Our goal is to continue improving, and there's never a limit.
"We've been able to repeat the things we want to do on the pitch, which is bringing us results over time. We continue to go about matches in the same way.
"Our squad is growing, and we have a club that pushes us to be proactive and courageous."
Paulo Exequiel Dybala
AS Roma
