Daniele De Rossi confirmed that he has an almost full squad at his disposal ahead of Roma’s match against Monza. The Giallorossi coach touched on a number of subjects, including the fitness of key players, what he expects from the Biancorosso and the changing environment at the club:
On Player Fitness: “All players are in good shape except Karsdorp, who, due to a knee issue, will not join us. However, he needs a longer management. Having many talented players won’t be an issue because if someone gets tired, we have many ready to replace them. Dybala is also doing well; we should be happy with his condition. He feels good and is happy. Even when you have a slight injury, you don’t feel it after scoring three goals.”
On Monza’s Tactics and Relationship with Palladino: “In recent matches, they’ve made some changes, as always you have to prepare for several matches within one game. They can attack with three but also create play with a four-man defense. We’ll meet a strong team with a coach whom I highly respect. I spoke with Raffaele a few days ago; we started the course at Coverciano together. The future looks bright for him, and he’s managing his experience at Monza very well.”
On Team Cohesion: “I don’t try to do anything different from the past but manage the locker room as I did at Spal or when I was captain. There’s a responsibility and a different role because you have to make choices. We are a family, and if we are not yet, we are heading in the right direction to become one. If you feel good, you spend an extra hour in training, and that means a lot.”
On Dybala and Lukaku’s Form: “There’s nothing tactical that enhances it if we play with three or four. If we analyze the goals, the change of formation is merely coincidental. Everyone is questioned, including myself. With Frosinone, I took out Lukaku because he had played many games for 90 minutes, but he’s a star. When he comes on, he gives his all; it’s his job.”
On the Changing Environment: “We are good at making ourselves available, and the club is giving us a lot of serenity. In other sports centers, especially those of the big clubs, the first team is far from the company headquarters and doesn’t even notice if a bomb goes off, while here, they put us in an ideal situation to focus on work even though we have offices here. I have to interact with the club regarding my role, and everyone is available 24 hours a day. Time zone permitting, I can call Dan or Ryan, and I always consult. I know there are changes, as there will be in the future. Thanks to the results, we can be in a better emotional situation.”
On Smalling’s Condition: “When you haven’t played for a long time, your muscles aren’t used to certain sprints and distances to cover. In training, you train, but the stress from a match is different. He’s finishing his recovery path.”
On Instructions to Paredes: “I’m asking him different things from his habit, but football-wise, he’s very intelligent. Sometimes he was too instinctive, while the midfielder must always be reflective, do many visible but also invisible things. Temporizing in this sport is fundamental, and he has football in his head. I like how he’s interpreting the role; I’m giving him some more nuances, but like everyone else. Even if I allow myself to say something to the midfielders.”
On the Opponent: “They are a difficult team to face for anyone. They know how to play football but are less aggressive than Torino and Atalanta, even though they come from the same genealogical tree.”
