Jose Mourinho would consider introducing diving lessons for his Roma stars because he fears the only way they will win penalties is by "playing the clown".

The head coach was red-carded in Sunday's 1-0 home defeat to Atalanta after wildly protesting when Nicolo Zaniolo went down in the 55th minute under a challenge from Caleb Okoli but did not get a penalty.

Mourinho was adamant his team deserved a spot-kick for that incident, and he also wanted one in the first half for another challenge on Zaniolo, when Merih Demiral appeared to foul the Roma forward.

Zaniolo stumbled on and got back to his feet after tangling with Demiral, and the referee's refusal to point to the spot on that occasion appeared to fuel Mourinho's later tirade.

By marching onto the pitch, gesturing and yelling complaints, Mourinho left referee Daniele Chiffi with little option but to send him to the stands.

"I tried to speak to Chiffi after the game," said Mourinho. "If a referee tells me that it can never be a penalty if a player does not fall over, then I will have to start telling my players to fall over. I asked him to tell me why he had not given a penalty, but Chiffi did not give me a clear answer.

"Well, he said that it was a matter of interpretation. But for me it's not interpretation; it's a penalty and that's it. The player can still continue the action and then they can go back and give a penalty.

"I want to be the best coach I can be – if we need to instead start playing the clown and pretend that we are at the swimming pool, then I will change the training we do."

Mourinho's team won a penalty in their previous Serie A game against Empoli, which Lorenzo Pellegrini missed.

Replays for the second-half incident on Sunday suggested Zaniolo and Okoli were grappling at each other's shirt long before the Roma man went to ground.

Mourinho was asked whether he expected further action over what was seen as an angry outburst.

Quoted on Roma's official website, the former Chelsea and Real Madrid boss said: "Angry? I went on the pitch and if the rules say that I cannot then I must be sent off – and there's nothing more to it than that. Let's not make up things that didn't happen.”

Giorgio Scalvini scored the game's only goal in the 35th minute, a smart side-footed strike from the edge of the penalty area that arrowed through a crowd of players and found the bottom-right corner.

It puts Atalanta second at the end of the seventh round of Serie A games, with Napoli overtaking them on goal difference on Sunday evening after winning 2-1 at Milan. Roma sit sixth, four points behind the top two.

Jose Mourinho was sent off in a fit of fury as his Roma side lost 1-0 at home to Atalanta in Serie A.

The head coach was seething after his side were denied a penalty in the 55th minute when Nicolo Zaniolo went over under a challenge from Caleb Okoli.

Replays suggested both players were grappling at each other's shirt long before Zaniolo went to ground, and referee Daniele Chiffi waved away the appeals.

Mourinho joined his players in protesting against the decision, running onto the pitch and shouting and pointing at Chiffi, before the referee brandished the red card his way.

Giorgio Scalvini scored the game's only goal in the 35th minute, a smart side-footed strike from the edge of the penalty area that arrowed through a crowd of players and found the bottom-right corner.

Roma have now lost two of their past three Serie A matches, as many defeats as they had suffered in the previous 21 (11W, 8D), and they sit sixth in the table after seven rounds of the season.

Atalanta's win took the visitors top of the table, at least temporarily ahead of Sunday's late game between Napoli and Milan, both of whom had a chance to jump to the summit.

The victory lifted Atalanta to 17 points from their opening seven Serie A games, a points record for the club at this stage of the season, one better than they achieved in the 2019-20 campaign.

They have kept clean sheets in all four of their away games so far, with Sunday's success following previous shutouts in wins at Sampdoria, Hellas Verona and Monza. Atalanta have only twice previously had four consecutive clean sheets in away games, in 1997 and 2016.

Jose Mourinho says "there is no point crying" about Roma's growing injury list, after Paulo Dybala pulled out of Sunday's showdown with Atalanta.

Dybala was injured during the warm-up ahead of the Serie A clash at Stadio Olimpico – the Argentina international sustaining a left flexor issue in his thigh.

Nemanja Matic replaced the former Juventus forward in the Giallorossi's starting line-up, with Lorenzo Pellegrini pushing into a more advanced role. 

Dybala joins the likes of Georginio Wijnaldum (tibia fracture) and Stephan El Shaarawy (muscular) on the injury list, while Rick Karsdorp is expected to miss around six weeks as he prepares to undergo surgery for a torn meniscus in his left knee.

Nevertheless, Mourinho insists his side must be ready to deal with these setbacks, and not get despondent.

"The squad is in the best shape possible," he told DAZN. "We were fortunate really to play against 10 men for almost the whole game on Thursday [the 3-0 win over HJK], as that requires less intensity, pressing and running.

"It's tough, but this is football. With the transfer window closed, there's no point crying about it now.

"The season is made up of lots of little problems to deal with. The really big one was Wijnaldum, but Rick will be back in at most two months."

On a brighter note, Nicolo Zaniolo made his Serie A return for the visit of Atalanta, having recovered from a dislocated shoulder.

Mourinho added: "Nico is in good shape, and he's a player really made to start games. He's different to the others."

Roma striker Tammy Abraham has been inspired by Erling Haaland's goalscoring feats and wants to scale the same heights as the Manchester City forward.

Abraham, who was called up to England's latest squad on Thursday, joined Roma from Chelsea ahead of the 2021-22 campaign and scored 27 goals across all competitions in his maiden season.

Haaland has hit the ground running at Manchester City since arriving from Borussia Dortmund in June, hitting 14 goals in his first 10 games.

Abraham, 24, watches Haaland closely and hopes he can eventually be likened to the Norway international.

"There is something in me saying I want to do even better," Abraham told the Mail on Sunday. "As a character, that's how I thrive.

"I look at Erling Haaland, who is the most talked about player in the world right now. I use it as a secret motivation, to try to reach that level, hit those targets. Other players' success is what gets me going."

Abraham joined a growing list of British players to sign for continental European clubs when he swapped Stamford Bridge for the Stadio Olimpico, and he cited Jadon Sancho's successful spell at Borussia Dortmund as a pivotal factor in his decision.

"If you'd told me a couple of years ago I'd be playing in Italy, I wouldn't have believed you," Abraham said. "Leaving Chelsea was difficult, it's where I'd grown up from the age of seven.

"I didn't know much about Italian football but it has helped me develop as a player and as a man. I've come out of my comfort zone and don't have any regrets. I love the life and it's brought out another side to my game.

"People might have been scared of change. Everyone likes to be in a comfortable place but sometimes you can have regrets if you don't try it. Whatever happens with the rest of my career, I can look back and be proud of playing and living in Italy, experiencing a different life.

"Sancho is a great example. At the time he went to Dortmund, I thought: 'Why?' But he did brilliantly and it's given others the confidence to do it. Jude Bellingham followed him to Dortmund, me and [Fikayo] Tomori are in Italy. We're playing well, banging on the door. I believe Sancho opened many people's eyes."

Jose Mourinho admitted he was "a little scared" amid speculation of Nicolo Zaniolo leaving Roma, while he refuted suggestions the attacker was difficult to manage.

Zaniolo scored the winning goal as Roma ended a 14-year trophy drought, defeating Feyenoord in the inaugural Europa Conference League final in May.

But speculation persisted in the close season that the 23-year-old may depart the Eternal City, with Juventus reportedly the favourites to secure his signature.

Zaniolo dismissed the move as never likely ahead of Thursday's Europa League clash with HJK Helsinki, which Roma won 3-0 after goals from Paulo Dybala, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Andrea Belotti.

While the Italy international suggested a transfer was never on the cards, Mourinho acknowledged he was nervous he could lose one of his brightest prospects.

"The director [Tiago Pinto] never came to me to tell me: 'this possibility exists'. Never. You read so many things, especially in the summer," the Roma coach told reporters after victory over HJK. 

"I knew he was an important player for us, with different qualities than the others. He's the only one with this physical potential. Yes, I was a little scared.

"He's a good guy, they told me he was a disaster as a professional. Either it was lies or he changed. I have never seen him arrive late, never had problems."

Roma sit three points behind early pacesetters Real Betis in Group C, with Ludogorets in second after defeating the Giallorossi on matchday one.

Jose Mourinho admitted he was "a little scared" amid speculation of Nicolo Zaniolo leaving Roma, while he refuted suggestions the attacker was difficult to manage.

Zaniolo scored the winning goal as Roma ended a 14-year trophy drought, defeating Feyenoord in the inaugural Europa Conference League final in May.

But speculation persisted in the close season that the 23-year-old may depart the Eternal City, with Juventus reportedly the favourites to secure his signature.

Zaniolo dismissed the move as never likely ahead of Thursday's Europa League clash with HJK Helsinki, which Roma won 3-0 after goals from Paulo Dybala, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Andrea Belotti.

While the Italy international suggested a transfer was never on the cards, Mourinho acknowledged he was nervous he could lose one of his brightest prospects.

"The director [Tiago Pinto] never came to me to tell me: 'this possibility exists'. Never. You read so many things, especially in the summer," the Roma coach told reporters after victory over HJK. 

"I knew he was an important player for us, with different qualities than the others. He's the only one with this physical potential. Yes, I was a little scared.

"He's a good guy, they told me he was a disaster as a professional. Either it was lies or he changed. I have never seen him arrive late, never had problems."

Roma sit three points behind early pacesetters Real Betis in Group C, with Ludogorets in second after defeating the Giallorossi on matchday one.

Roma's Nicolo Zaniolo remains relaxed about his contract situation and has refuted claims he came close to leaving the Giallorossi in the transfer window.

Zaniolo helped Roma end a 14-year trophy drought in May, scoring the winning goal as Jose Mourinho's men beat Feyenoord to win the inaugural Europa Conference League.

The attacker's contract in the Italian capital does not expire until 2024, but he was strongly linked with an exit during the recent transfer window.

Juventus were considered the most likely suitors for the 23-year-old, who has nine senior caps for Italy, but he insists a transfer was never likely.

Speaking at a news conference ahead of Roma's Europa League clash with HJK, Zaniolo said: "It was not a unique summer for me. It always seems that I always go and then I stay.

"These are inferences and thoughts that [the media] make. I still have a year and a half on the contract to be able to talk about it. This is not the time right now because we have HJK and Atalanta. 

"Roma has given me so much. It has given me everything and we hope to win other titles."

Zaniolo also outlined his appreciation for Mourinho's backing, adding: "I have to thank the coach because he's always been willing to give me a hand and a second chance. He's a great coach and a great person. I'm happy to have him."

Ahead of Thursday's meeting with the Finnish outfit, Roma are unbeaten in their past 19 home matches in European competitions (W13 D6), the longest such run in their history.

Roma did begin their Europa League campaign with a 2-1 defeat at Ludogorets, however, meaning Mourinho has lost his last two games in the competition (also 3-0 v Dinamo Zagreb with Tottenham in March 2021). Mourinho had previously lost just three of his 24 Europa League games (W17 D4).

The qualities of captain Lorenzo Pellegrini will be key to the Giallorossi's hopes of getting their campaign up and running on Thursday, and Mourinho wishes he could field him in multiple positions.

"Last year I talked about three Pellegrinis, who would always be starters because he can play three different roles and he does them all great. For his age, he has room for improvement but he's a top player," Mourinho said.

"It's a pity that there is only one – I would like three Lorenzos. We try to give him a role where he feels at ease.

"Lorenzo is the first to know that as a captain, the most important thing is to be available to the team."

Former Inter and Italy defender Davide Santon has announced his retirement from playing at the age of 31 due to persistent injury issues.

The full-back had spent the past four seasons with Roma but failed to make a single appearance under Jose Mourinho in the 2021-22 campaign.

Santon was capped eight times by Italy between 2009 and 2013 and was a two-time Scudetto winner with Inter during the first of two spells with the club, either side of a three-season stint with Newcastle United.

Injuries ultimately took their toll on the defender, who announced his playing days are over in an interview with Tuttomercato published on Friday.

"I'm forced to stop playing," he said. "Not for not having had offers, not for anything else, but because my body, with so many injuries in the past, can't take it anymore.

"I didn't want to do this, but I have to. I had endless tests and consultations, but there was nothing to be done. I can still walk, but that's not enough to be a professional athlete. 

"If I kept pushing, I'd risk needing a prosthesis. The left knee is just gone. It stops me doing lots of things. 

"The right knee, that had surgery three times, removing cartilage, the entire external meniscus, so as soon as I strain it even a little bit, it swells up and can't bend.

"All my injuries really came from there, because if the right knee can't bend, you put more strain on the left and the flexor. If you play one match, you risk being out of action for the next five."

Santon made just 42 Serie A appearances across four seasons with Roma and was accused by some of turning down moves elsewhere in order to continue picking up an easy wage at Stadio Olimpico.

Responding to those claims, Santon said: "I didn't turn anyone down. I was never going to pass a medical."

Jose Mourinho claimed Roma were unlucky in their 4-0 loss at Udinese, insisted Paulo Dybala was the best player on the pitch, and labelled referee Fabio Maresca "perfect" for the hosts' style of play.

Goals from Destiny Udogie, Lazar Samardzic, Roberto Pereyra and Sandi Lovric condemned Roma to their first loss of the campaign on Sunday as Mourinho experienced his heaviest defeat in a Serie A fixture.

Indeed, only once in his managerial career has Mourinho suffered a more comprehensive loss in a domestic league match, going down 5-0 to Pep Guardiola's immense Barcelona side when in charge of Real Madrid in 2010.

Despite the heavy margin of defeat, Roma enjoyed a greater share of possession (56.9 per cent) and recorded more shots (12 to 11) than their hosts, and Mourinho believes defensive errors cost the Giallorossi dearly.

"Today we were unlucky, we gave away two goals which decided the match," he said.

"I'm talking about bad luck because at the start we were going strong with the opportunity created by Dybala, who for me was the best player on the pitch.

"It's clear that after losing 4-0 someone can laugh, but he gave quality, he had character.

"I told the players that when Udinese go ahead, they are good at everything. They are good at defending themselves, managing the timing of the match, going on the counter attack, up to educating ball boys. We don't have this last quality.

"A perfect match for them, a well-deserved victory, it's hard for us but I prefer a 4-0 defeat than four 1-0 defeats."

Mourinho was furious with the decision to deny Roma a penalty when Zeki Celik was bundled over in the area with the scoreline at 1-0, but said that to blame the officials for the defeat would be "ridiculous".

However, the former Chelsea and Manchester United boss could not resist a dig at Maresca, claiming his style of officiating suited the more physical hosts.

"When you lose 4-0, it's ridiculous to talk about the referee," Mourinho said.

"I think it wouldn't even be fair to say that we lost to the referee, we paid for the mistakes we made.

"I don't hide from you that when it's a physical match like this and the first yellow card goes to the artist of the match [Dybala], it's a bit contradictory.

"My principle is always the same, before the matches I never talk about referees, after the match I can say that with him, our feeling is poor.

"But when we saw who he was we realised that he had a perfect feeling with Udinese, for how they play.

"But we didn't lose to the referee, he didn't play a disastrous match, he played a match at his level."

Mourinho was unhappy with criticism of his decision to field captain Lorenzo Pellegrini in a more advanced role than usual, saying: "We have already played with Pellegrini in that position. I was a commentator for a while in England, how easy it is.

"When you sit on a bench, everything becomes more difficult."

Paris Saint-Germain have been hit with a fine from UEFA that could rise to €65million after failing to comply with break-even rules put in place by European football's governing body.

The Ligue 1 champions were one of eight clubs served with financial fair play penalties, with Roma, Milan, Monaco, Besiktas, Inter, Juventus and Marseille the others affected.

UEFA said its Club Financial Control Body analysed the financial years 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 for clubs that competed in its European competitions last season, with special measures applied for 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic's impact on football.

PSG have invested heavily in star players including the likes of Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos and Gianluigi Donnarumma, while retaining the likes of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe in their ranks.

They must pay €10m, with the remainder of their punishment suspended for now, payable only if they fail to meet future targets.

Given the wealth of PSG's Qatari owners, questions will be asked about how significantly any such fine might affect the French giants.

Italian club Roma were served with a €35m fine, but similarly to the PSG case, only €5m of that is unconditional. They will avoid paying the rest if they meet UEFA requirements in future. Roma, managed by Jose Mourinho, won last season's Europa Conference League.

Their Serie A rivals Inter, Juventus and Milan were hit with €26m, €23m and €15m punishments, but must pay only €4m, €3.5m and €2m initially.

Turkish outfit Besiktas were fined €4m, but will pay €600,000 for now, while PSG's domestic opponents Marseille and Monaco were each penalised €2m, required to pay just €300,000 if they toe the line.

UEFA said: "These eight clubs agreed to financial contributions of €172m.

"These amounts will be withheld from any revenues these clubs earn from participating in UEFA club competitions or paid directly.

"Of this amount, €26m (15 per cent) shall be paid in full while the remaining balance of €146m (85 per cent) is conditional depending on these clubs' compliance with the targets stated in the respective settlement agreement."

Those settlement agreements will span three or four years. Inter and Roma requested four-year terms, while all other clubs elected for three years.

UEFA said the clubs would "undertake to reach intermediate annual targets, and to the application of conditional financial and sporting measures should these targets not be met".

It added that 19 further clubs, including Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea, Barcelona, Manchester City, Sevilla, Lazio, Napoli and West Ham, fulfilled the break-even requirement only "thanks to the application of the COVID-19 emergency measures and/or because they benefited from historical positive break-even results".

UEFA said these clubs would be "further asked for additional financial information and will be monitored closely in the upcoming period".

Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri thinks Denis Zakaria's exit to Chelsea was the best move for club and player, saying his Bianconeri squad is "complete" even after some deadline-day departures.

The Switzerland international was one of a handful of last-gasp exits from Turin, alongside fellow midfielders Arthur and Nicolo Rovella, who moved on to Liverpool and Monza respectively.

Allegri was only able to add one more player, in a loan deal for Paris Saint-Germain man Leandro Paredes, but nevertheless, he remains happy with the composition of his squad.

"[It] is difficult to say [if I am satisfied with the market]," he added. "The club has worked very well with both incoming and outgoing moves. We held onto the young people who were the goal of the club.

"With Zakaria, there was the possibility [of an exit] because he felt a little withdrawn. He enthusiastically accepted this opportunity. I wish him and Arthur good luck.

"We've made our choices and they are happy. We have completed the squad in the best possible way. We think about our recoveries and then we will be complete."

Ahead of the clash with Fiorentina, Allegri is still juggling a host of injury concerns, with Paul Pogba and Federico Chiesa long-term absentees, while Adrien Rabiot will also miss out.

But Angel Di Maria could feature in some capacity, with the head coach adding: "He is not in an optimal condition, but he can play. If it is 45 or 60 minutes, we will see."

The transfer window has been gently eased shut, and there were plenty of last-minute deals to keep fans across Europe captivated.

Southampton were busy, adding Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Duje Caleta-Car to their ranks, among others, while Barcelona allowed Martin Braithwaite to join Espanyol on a free transfer and sold Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Chelsea.

As the seconds ticked down, clubs dotted their i's, crossed their t's and blew the dust off their fax machines, and here is just some of what took place in the closing hours.

Busy Saints bring in four, lose one

As far as the Premier League goes, it was Southampton who got up to the most activity in the final moments, signing Maitland-Niles on loan from Arsenal and Caleta-Car permanently from Marseille on a four-year deal, as well as adding two Manchester City youngsters in Juan Larios and Sam Edozie. They let defender Yan Valery to Ligue 1 side Angers.

Brighton and Hove Albion completed the signing of Billy Gilmour from Chelsea and released Romanian striker Florin Andone, while Chelsea let Ethan Ampadu join Serie A side Spezia on loan and finally allowed Kenedy to depart Stamford Bridge after seven years to join Real Valladolid in LaLiga.

Carlos Vinicius returned to the Premier League after a loan spell with Tottenham in 2020-21, having joined Fulham from Benfica on a permanent deal. The Cottagers also completed a loan deal for Leeds United winger Daniel James.

The Whites were frustrated in their attempts to sign Bamba Dieng from Marseille, but instead clinched a deal for Italian youngster Wilfried Gnonto from FC Zurich for an undisclosed fee.

Nottingham Forest added signings number 20 and 21 of the window in Josh Bowler from Blackpool and Loic Bade from Rennes, with free agent Serge Aurier potentially making it 22, though a reported late move for Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi failed to materialise.

Jan Bednarek had been linked with a move to West Ham earlier in the day but ended up leaving Southampton on loan to another team in claret and blue as Aston Villa brought in the Polish defender.

Brooks was here, now he's in Lisbon

On the continent, Benfica completed the signing of American defender John Brooks from Wolfsburg, while Maxi Gomez left Valencia for Turkish side Trabzonspor.

Los Che brought in a replacement for Gomez in Justin Kluivert on loan from Roma after his move to Fulham fell through due to work permit issues.

In France, highly rated forward Amine Gouiri swapped Nice for Rennes in a reported club-record fee apparently worth €28million, while Lille secured a loan deal for Everton midfielder Andre Gomes.

As well as signing Aubameyang and Hector Bellerin and losing Braithwaite, Barcelona also said goodbye on a temporary basis to Ez Abde, who joined Osasuna on loan.

Deadline day has seen major transfers aplenty, with clubs across Europe pushing to complete final pieces of business before the window slams shut until 2023.

Barcelona have terminated Martin Braithwaite's contract, the forward widely expected to join Espanyol, while in France, Abdou Diallo completed a switch to RB Leipzig to begin an exodus from Paris Saint-Germain.

Further deals for both clubs are also on the cards, with a frantic end to the window expected in the final hours.

Premier League's power push

PSG's exodus was of benefit to English sides, Fulham signing Layvin Kurzawa on loan and Everton bringing Idrissa Gueye back to Merseyside three years after he left for the French capital. Gueye said: "There is no better feeling than coming back home. I've followed the team every week and watched how they play. For me, there is no better place than Everton so that's why I chose to come back here."

Fulham have also signed former Chelsea and Arsenal playmaker Willian on a free transfer.

Nottingham Forest hit number 19 for the window, drafting in Willy Boly from Wolves, while Southampton saw Jack Stephens move across the south coast to join Bournemouth on loan.

Arsenal's quest for a new midfielder has seen attention turn to Aston Villa's Douglas Luiz, though the Gunners face a stern test with bids reportedly rebuffed from the side they defeated 2-1 on Wednesday.

Chelsea look set to bring one of the long-running sagas of the window to a close, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang poised to join from Barcelona. Marcos Alonso is expected to move to Camp Nou as part of that deal and the Blues may sell Billy Gilmour to Brighton and Hove Albion.

One player not on the move, however, was Joao Pedro as he confirmed he would remain at Watford amid reported interest from Newcastle United and Everton.

Europe's eye for business

On the continent, Julian Weigl moved to Borussia Monchengladbach on loan from Benfica. 

Free agent Florian Grillitsch has joined Ajax, who are said to have turned down approaches from Chelsea and Everton for Edson Alvarez and Mohammed Kudus respectively.

Krzysztof Piatek also departed Germany, leaving Hertha Berlin for Serie A side Salertina, and was followed to Italy by Aster Vranckx, joining Milan on loan from Wolfsburg.

The Serie A champions are not yet finished, with an announcement confirming the capture of Sergino Dest from Barcelona expected imminently.

In Spain, Luca Zidane, son of Zinedine Zidane, joined second-tier outfit Eibar on a free transfer following his exit from Rayo Vallecano and Ilaix Moriba joined Valencia on loan from Leipzig, with Gennaro Gattuso's side also closing in on signing Justin Kluivert from Roma following the collapse of a proposed move to the Premier League.

Real Sociedad were also in on the late action, landing forward Umar Sadiq from Tenerife, the Nigerian likely to be a replacement for Alexander Isak.

Roma have completed the signing of Olympiacos midfielder Mady Camara on a season-long loan deal with the option to buy.

The Guinea international is the seventh arrival at the Stadio Olimpico during this transfer window, following in the footsteps of Nemanja Matic, Mile Svilar, Zeki Celik, Paulo Dybala, Georginio Wijnaldum and Andrea Belotti.

Camara, who will wear the number 20 for the Giallorossi, spent four seasons with Olympiacos, winning three league titles.

The 25-year-old was linked with a host of clubs across Europe in this window but is now looking forward to his new challenge with Roma.

"I am very happy to be here," Camara told the club's official website. "Roma represents a great opportunity for me.

"It will be a challenging season, between cups and the league, but I am here to give my contribution and help the team in every competition in which we participate.

"Seeing the Olimpico and the Giallorossi fans was magnificent; I can't wait to play for them."

Camara could make his Roma debut when the Giallorossi travel to Udinese in Serie A on Sunday.

Paulo Dybala's fine performances for Roma are good news for Argentina with the 2022 World Cup on the horizon, according to Jose Mourinho.

Two goals from Dybala against Monza on Tuesday – his first for Roma – fired the Giallorossi to the top of the Serie A table with a 3-0 win.

The forward, signed from Juventus in this transfer window, had not scored more than once in a Serie A match since April 2018.

But this brace took Dybala to 100 goals in the competition for his career; he is only the eighth player since 2004-05 to pass 100 goals and 50 assists.

Roma coach Mourinho is working to ensure Dybala remains in top condition, having started all four matches so far this season but been substituted in each of them.

Dybala never started 30 league games in a single season for Juve, too often beset by injury problems that also impacted his international career.

In this form, Dybala will have a key role for Argentina in Qatar in November, so Mourinho is expecting gratitude from Albiceleste coach Lionel Scaloni.

"In the other games, he couldn't quite pull off the things he wanted to at times, but he never showed the wrong attitude," Mourinho said of Dybala after the Monza game. "Great.

"For me, there can be times when a talented player helps his side but he's also a bit isolated from it.

"But with us, Paulo is a great talent who also plays for and with the team. Right now, when it comes to the defensive side of the game, he's doing a great job for us – and that's not something that he was born to do.

"When he came off today, he said to me: 'Boss, if I carried on I would have got my third.' I told him: 'Get it against Udinese instead!'

"It's important to manage him a bit, because he has had a bit of bad luck with injuries in the past and he did not play a huge amount last season. Right now, his levels are improving.

"For us, he’s great, and I can already see what is going to happen in Qatar. Maybe the Argentina coach should offer us a bottle of wine."

Dybala has scored only three goals in 34 caps for Argentina; he has started just one match at a major tournament and was restricted to 77 minutes in 2022 World Cup qualifying.