Daniele De Rossi explains his choices as Roma visit Udinese, with fitness updates ahead of the Europa League quarter-final with Milan. ‘It is a test.’
It kicks off at the Bluenergy Stadium at 17.00 UK time (16.00 GMT).
The Giallorossi are fired up after back-to-back victories over Lazio and Milan, while with Bologna and Juventus both held to stalemates this weekend, it gives them the chance to close up on the top four in the Serie A table.
“We know that there is a difficult match today, so enthusiasm helps you to work with a positive attitude, but we still have to work really hard,” De Rossi told DAZN.
It cannot be a coincidence that both their last two matches were decided by Gianluca Mancini headers on dead ball situations, so do Roma work on these routines in training or do they simply have players particularly suited to these moves?
“The individual players know how to take set plays, others are very good at timing their runs and making the most of these situations. Games like the World Cup Final and Champions League Final can be decided on set plays.
“I have staff who pay great attention to the details of those situations – much more attention than me – and I leave it to their ideas.”
De Rossi was disappointed the last time he tried to rotate the squad in a draw away to Lecce, and this is the first time since that match that he missed both Lorenzo Pellegrini and Paulo Dybala from the starting XI. Is this a test to see if those others can step up and represent Roma?
“It is a test of sorts. The situation at Lecce was a little different, as then Pellegrini was suspended and Paulo had at most five minutes of playing time in his legs,” explained the coach.
“Pellegrini doesn’t have a lot of fitness either, he had a slight problem, but we might see him for half an hour today. Dybala is the only choice I made myself, as last time he played on Thursday and again at the weekend, he got hurt, so I don’t want to run any risks.”