Paulo Dybala, Gian Piero Gasperini has a surprise ready for Inter's

Looking ahead to Roma-Inter tonight, Koné and Cristante will again be the midfield lights. In front of them, almost obligatory defense: Celik, Mancini and N’Dicka, back available after the African break and immediately reintegrated thanks to yesterday’s training. On the lanes, Wesley on the right and Tsimikas on the left remain the most likely options, although Rensch — left to work in Trigoria — is a ready alternative on both flanks.

The real puzzle concerns the attack. Without Dovbyk and Ferguson at their best, Gasperini tested a “light” module: Soulé and Pellegrini behind Dybala, a solution already seen against Torino and for a chunk of the match at Franchi. Then the coach spoke of an emergency, but the idea of giving no points of reference to Inter’s defense intrigues him. Dybala could also be saved for the resumption, when the mesh widens and his talent can affect more. At the moment, however, Dovbyk remains slight favorite to start.

Pellegrini, on the other hand, will almost certainly be there: to him Gasperini will entrust a key tactical task, similar to the one in the derby, when he overshadowed Rovella. This time he will have to limit Calhanoglu.

And up front, there is another certainty: Matias Soulé, 3 goals and 2 assists in 6 appearances. The Argentine is the brightest face of an evolving attack, but he too – like Koné – is beginning to look like more than a starter: an immovable.