Roma defender Gianluca Mancini underwent surgery to reduce a nasal bone fracture today and will play the next games wearing a protective mask.

Roma defender Mancini will be forced to wear a protective mask in the following matches after undergoing nose surgery on Tuesday.

Roma defender Mancini has nose surgery

The Italy international suffered an injury during the first half of Monday’s 1-0 loss against Udinese, but remained on the pitch for the entire game.

Sky Sport Roma correspondent Angelo Mangiante reports on X social media that the defender underwent surgery today, Tuesday, February 3, to reduce the nasal bone fracture.

Mancini will be discharged in the coming hours and will be able to resume competitive activity wearing a protective mask.

Roma’s next Serie A games

Mancini, 29, has scored one goal and provided one assist in 30 appearances across all competitions this season.

Roma’s next game is on Monday, February 9, at home against Cagliari.

The following Sunday, February 15, they’ll visit Napoli at the Stadio Maradona.

Former Italy international Alessandro Florenzi regrets not playing in the World Cup despite winning the Euros in 2021: ‘I failed to match expectations.’

Ex-Roma and Milan defender Florenzi spoke to Vivo Azzurro (via TMW) about his playing career, mostly focusing on his games with the Azzurri.

Florenzi: ‘Something magical happened’ at Euro 2020

“I won the Euros, but I never played at the World Cup and I hope I can experience it as a fan this year,” he said.

“We were not the best team [at Euro 2020], but something magical happened. There was joy, but also the utmost focus in the decisive moments. I think this was the mix that brought us to the victory.”

The late Gianluca Vialli was Italy’s delegation chief at the Euros and had built a solid bond with the entire team, especially Florenzi.

“I struggle to talk about Gianluca. Everyone knows how important he was to us,” Florenzi said.

“His speeches, his words, even his silences and how he faced the illness. He could only convey positivity to us.”

Florenzi was part of the Italy squad in 2018 and 2022, when the Azzurri failed to qualify for the World Cup.

They have a new chance later in March as they’ll face Northern Ireland in the World Cup play-off semifinal.

If they progress to the final, they’ll face Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“These lads are defending an entire nation, and must be supported. They’ll have so much pressure on them, just like I had,” Florenzi concluded.

“I failed to match expectations as I didn’t qualify for the World Cup twice. I hope with all my heart that they’ll go through these two rounds and bring us to the World Cup because they deserve it, just like the Italian fans.”

Florenzi is now a Sky Sport Italia pundit. He announced his retirement in the summer of 2025 after making 289 Serie A appearances. The ex-defender won the Scudetto with Milan in 2021-22.

Florenzi also played for PSG on loan in 2020-21.

He made his senior Italy debut in 2012 and scored two goals in 49 matches with La Nazionale.

Former Milan and Juventus defender Mattia De Sciglio said he snubbed a move to Liverpool to move to Turin in 2017, but he felt ‘used’ by Vincenzo Montella at San Siro.

Former Italy international De Sciglio spoke about his career in an interview with Corriere della Sera.

A product of the Milan academy, De Sciglio has also played for Juventus and Empoli in Serie A and Lyon in the French Ligue 1.

The 33-year-old has collected 208 appearances in Serie A and 28 in the Champions League.

“I could have played for Inter as a kid,” De Sciglio said via Calciomercato.com.

“They had called me for a trial, but I was dropped because I was too short. Milan arrived shortly afterwards, and I went through the youth sector until my Champions League debut at 18.”

De Sciglio was a Milan first-team player in one of the darkest moments in recent history, but feels the way he was treated at San Siro was unfair.

“Some of the fans and the media identified me as the guilty one in that situation, and they were all waiting for a minimum error to criticise me,” he said.

“My social media accounts were filled with insults and nasty comments, but I had always behaved well, so I didn’t understand.”

During a Milan home game against Empoli in April 2017, he realised he had to leave the Rossoneri.

“We were down two goals at minute 70, and Montella decided to replace me. I was angry. It’s a substitution I’ve never understood. It seemed just a way to use me to hide a difficult moment for the whole team,” De Sciglio said.

“As I was leaving, a boos erupted all around me. That day, I realised I could no longer go on like that; my story with Milan was over.”

De Sciglio snubbed Liverpool move for Juventus in 2017

The following summer, De Sciglio joined Juventus from Milan.

“Liverpool also wanted me, but I picked Turin because Allegri was on the bench and the team was really strong,” he said.

“Finding myself in a dressing room of champions and playing European games as a protagonist was a nice revenge after a difficult period.”

De Sciglio is currently without a club as Juventus didn’t extend his contract when he returned from a loan spell at Empoli at the end of 2024-25.

Exams undergone by Giovanni Di Lorenzo have ruled out a serious knee injury, and with his recovery time expected to be between 40 and 60 days, Italy and Gennaro Gattuso hope the versatile defender will be available for the World Cup play-off next month.

Napoli defender Di Lorenzo could be available for Italy’s World Cup play-off next month.

Di Lorenzo injury update

The Azzurri defender was subbed off during Napoli’s last Serie A match against Fiorentina.

The Partenopei initially feared Di Lorenzo had suffered a knee ligament injury, but exams undergone at Villa Stuart on Monday highlighted a second-degree sprain to the left knee.

This means Di Lorenzo will likely remain on the sidelines for 40 to 60 days as he won’t undergo surgery, but only follow a conservative treatment.

Will Di Lorenzo be available for Italy’s World Cup play-off?

According to Gazzetta, Italy coach Gattuso hopes the experienced defender will recover in time for the World Cup play-off scheduled for the end of March.

Italy will host Northern Ireland in the semifinal on March 26, and if they progress, they will then visit Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Final.

Sandro Tonali’s agent Beppe Riso denies reports he offered the Newcastle United player to Arsenal, but left the door open to Juventus. ‘We’ll evaluate it in March.’

There had been rumours that the Gunners were in talks for the midfielder in the January transfer window, but that Newcastle slammed the door shut immediately.

Claims Tonali pushing for Newcastle exit

Now The Athletic claim that it was Tonali’s agent who made the approach to Arsenal director Andrea Berta and proposed the potential move.

Agent Riso spoke to Sky Sport Italia this afternoon and was asked about the Arsenal interest.

“I read it, but Newcastle won’t let Sandro leave in January, and we never talked to Arsenal about this,” said Tonali’s representative.

It follows reports in recent months that the 25-year-old was looking at a potential return to Serie A for Juventus.

“We will evaluate in March whether Newcastle are open to anything, but right now he is playing in the Champions League, it is not the right moment to talk about it.”

This would open up a scenario where the Azzurri star is actively seeking a new club beyond the Magpies, who he joined from Milan for €60.8m plus add-ons in 2023.

His current contract with Newcastle United only runs to June 2028, and Milan are owed a 10 per cent cut of his future sale fee.

Tonali has 35 competitive appearances for the Premier League side so far this season, contributing five assists.

Alessio Romagnoli’s agent Enzo Raiola explains how the defender’s move to Al-Sadd fell through and reveals that Lazio owe wages from previous months.

Romagnoli’s proposed transfer to Al-Sadd collapsed last week, and the defender is destined to terminate the current campaign at Lazio.

The Serie A side officially blocked the defender’s transfer on January 25, but negotiations continued in the following days.

‘No future at Lazio,’ says Romagnoli’s agent

“The player has understood that there’s no future at Lazio. There was never a proposal to extend the contract, and the club still has to pay several past wages,” Raiola told Sky Sport.

“We continued negotiations even after the unexpected statement from the President. Al-Sadd had sent a formal offer, but Lazio never replied.

“Alessio told Sarri that he wanted to move to Qatar. Over the last year and a half, he’s realised that there’s no future at Lazio and he’s told me more than once that the last Italian club he’ll play for are the Biancocelesti. He’s expressed his desire to play abroad.

“There was never an offer to extend,” Raiola continued.

“After the qualification for the Champions League, we expected a call from the club, because promises were made when Alessio had signed his contract. It’s been three and a half years, I think we can forget this call.”

Romagnoli’s agent explained that Lazio and Al-Sadd, coached by ex-Italy boss Roberto Mancini, ultimately found an agreement on January 31, but it was too late as the winter transfer window in Qatar closed on that day.

“At that moment, there was no time to sign the contract,” Raiola said.

“We still don’t understand why some of the wages have not been paid; it’s quite frequent in Italy, and this becomes a blackmail against the players, because when they accept being on the market, they must also give up wages that have not been paid. We did not understand this condition.”

Romagnoli was not called up for Lazio’s last Serie A match against Genoa as he had not trained with the rest of the team after the Biancocelesti initially refused to sell him.

His contract expires in June 2027, but it’s hard to imagine him staying at the Olimpico beyond the current campaign. Raiola said that his client wants to continue playing for at least six more years.

“He’s training and will continue his path at Lazio. He’s a professional, so he’ll continue the season here,” concluded Raiola.

“He could have taken a firmer hold of the situation, but instead, he always wanted to seek a relationship, something that had never existed at the top levels of the club. The only people he confronted were director Fabiani and Sarri. We’ll see what the future holds.”

Former Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca hopes Italy will qualify for the 2026 World Cup: ‘Otherwise, they’ll make fun of us even more abroad.’

The Italian tactician was in Florence on Monday to attend the Panchina d’Oro Award in Coverciano, where he received a “special” recognition.

The event was held at the Italy’s training ground so a question about the Azzurri was inevitable.

Maresca ‘optimistic’ about Italy

“I hope they make it to the World Cup, and I’m optimistic,” Maresca told reporters, including Sky Sport Italia.

“I’m cheering for them also because, otherwise, they’ll make fun of us even more abroad. Let’s hope no. Let’s hope this time we manage to get to the World Cup ,and I wish that for Italy, for Gennaro and everyone.”

One of the main concerns for football clubs in Italy and all around Europe regard a congested fixture list that leaves little rest to players and coaches.

“This is the situation, either you adapr or you don’t train, or you don’t play,” Maresca said.

“A FIFA study highlighted that the two teams with the most injuries during the season were Chelsea and PSG, coincidentally, the World Cup Finalists.”

Lastly, Maresca answered a question on whether he’ll coach a Serie A club one day: “I’m doing well abroad, but we’ll see. What matters is not what you’ve done, but your willingness,” he concluded.

Various reports on the final day of the transfer window claim that Premier League leaders Arsenal are plotting a surprise move for Italy international Sandro Tonali. 

What to make of Tonali links to Arsenal?

According to reports from the likes of Florian Plettenberg, Indykalia and others, Arsenal are interested in the Newcastle United midfielder, but sealing a deal with less than 12 hours of the transfer window remaining is a difficult task. 

Some reports claim that Tonali’s agent, Beppe Riso, is the one pushing for the Arsenal move. 

Newcastle reportedly value the former Milan midfielder in the region of €115m (£100m). The Magpies spent a fee reported to be in the region of €70m to sign Tonali from Milan back in the summer of 2023. 

Other reports in the UK, however, claim that the Arsenal links are ‘wide of the mark’. Tonali remains under contract until the summer of 2029 with the option for a further 12 months at St. James’ Park, therefore it would take a ‘sensational’ offer to convince Newcastle into selling.

It is understood that Newcastle are not willing to sell Italy international as things stand.

Lazio captain Mattia Zaccagni is expected to be out of action for circa one month after tests showed a medium-grade lesion to his oblique muscle.

He was only on the bench for last night’s 3-2 victory over Genoa at the Stadio Olimpico, and it is now confirmed why.

A statement from Lazio announced that tests performed at the Villa Mafalda clinic had shown a medium-grade lesion to the oblique muscle in his abdomen.

Zaccagni not expected back until March 2026

The report from Sky Sport Italia warns this kind of injury should keep Zaccagni out of action for at least four weeks.

It is a blow to the Aquile and the Italy squad, as Zaccagni had scored four goals with one assist in 20 games this season between Serie A and the Coppa Italia.

Lazio are still missing Gil Patric and Samuel Gigot, but signed Kenneth Taylor, Daniel Maldini, Petar Ratkov and Adrian Przyborek in the January transfer window.