Ahead of Udinese’s upcoming Serie A match against Cagliari, head coach Kosta Runjaic shared his thoughts on the challenge ahead and provided updates on his squad. The game, which will open the ninth round of Serie A, sees Udinese returning home after a defeat against AC Milan at San Siro.
Runjaic began by praising Cagliari’s style of play: “Tomorrow we’ll play against a team with great energy. I like how they play. Cagliari fights until the end and they’re able to recover from disadvantageous situations. All the matches they’ve played have been difficult for their opponents.”
Regarding team news, Runjaic confirmed that Florian Thauvin would be unavailable: “Thauvin won’t be there. I don’t know if he’ll return next week or the one after. For his style of play, he needs to be 100%. As long as he has a bit of pain, he can’t train at his best.”
The coach emphasized the importance of home support: “We know Cagliari’s strengths. We need to deliver a good performance, also thanks to our twelfth man. Our fans are exceptional, and we want to use their support to bring strength and energy onto the field.”
When asked about Rui Modesto’s progress, Runjaic said: “He could have played the game against Milan and even the one before. He trains well, but I have to make choices. He’s eager to play in Serie A, but these are things to be evaluated carefully. It’s an option I have in mind.”
Regarding potential lineup changes, Runjaic mentioned: “We have good options with Davis and Lucca. The tandem is a possibility. Davis has had to fight long with physical niggles, he’s worked hard to find optimal condition. Now Davis can play longer spells, we’ll see if he can play for 90 minutes, but he can start from the first minute.”
On the team’s development, Runjaic was cautiously optimistic: “I’d be lying if I said we’re at 75%. We want to have more ball possession. Against Milan, we moved the ball well, holding the field well, but we can make better decisions on the field. We’re working intensely because we can correct certain mistakes.”
Looking ahead to the Cagliari match, Runjaic expects an intense encounter: “I very much appreciate how Cagliari plays. You can see that there are players with great experience in Serie A. They’re guys who play intensely, with quick offensive transitions. It will be a game of intensity, we’ll need to be able to withstand Cagliari’s impact. We’ll need to hold the second balls, accelerating at decisive moments, as Cagliari does. I think it will be a game in the balance, and I hope we’ll be able to exploit the decisive episodes.”
