Roma hand Castro first start in friendly against Cardiff City
Quick summary
Roma give new signing Castro his first start in a pre-season friendly against Cardiff City.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceRoma have thrown Santiago Castro straight into the starting XI for his debut in a pre-season friendly with Cardiff City, in a trident with Paulo Dybala and Matias Soulé.
It kicks off in Cardiff at 15.00 UK time (16.00 CEST).
PARMA, ITALY – MAY 10: Gian Piero Gasperini, Head Coach of AS Roma, looks on pose for a team photograph prior to the Serie A match between Parma Calcio 1913 and AS Roma at Stadio Ennio Tardini on May 10, 2026 in Parma, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images) Gian Piero Gasperini wasted no time in giving new signing Castro his first appearance, just hours after the striker completed his transfer from Bologna for €35m plus add-ons.
Soulé remains on the transfer market for €30m , but with no buyers yet stepping up, he plays in this pre-season test in Wales.
Wesley was forced to miss the 2026 World Cup with Brazil due to an injury and got sent off in the last friendly 3-3 draw with Cannes, a game that Roma had been winning 3-0 until a late collapse down to 10 men.
Donyell Malen is initially on the bench to give Castro a run-out.
Cardiff City vs. Roma Cardiff City: Trott; Ng, Osho, Chambers, Bagan; Robertson, J. Colwill; Ashford, Tanner, Willock; Salech
Roma: Svilar; Mancini, Ndicka, Hermoso; Rensch, Cristante, Bah, Wesley; Dybala, Soulé, Castro
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What happened
Roma are set to feature new signing Castro in the starting lineup for a pre-season friendly against Cardiff City. This marks the player's first start for the Italian club since his arrival, offering an early opportunity to assess his integration into the squad. The friendly serves as part of Roma's pre-season preparations ahead of the upcoming Serie A campaign.
Chance analysis
A first start for a new signing in a pre-season friendly is a low-stakes but useful indicator of how quickly a player is being integrated. For prediction systems, this carries minimal direct match impact since friendlies don't count competitively, but it signals tactical intent and squad hierarchy heading into the season proper.
Slight positive for Castro's availability and potential role at Roma, with no competitive match impact.
Treat this as a minor squad-rotation/integration signal for Roma; it has negligible impact on competitive match predictions but hints at Castro's early role.