Rudi Garcia has made clear that he won’t have two Roma teams in mind in balancing between League and European commitments.
After the opening win against Fiorentina, the Giallorossi prepare for the first away match of the season at Empoli and then their Champions League return against CSKA Moscow at home.
For the club’s Coach, though, team attention and selection is only on the weekend match.
“I need to maintain that full focus is on the next match,” Rudi Garcia has said in the usual pre-match Press conference.
Rudi Garcia has made clear that he won’t have two Roma teams in mind in balancing between League and European commitments.
After the opening win against Fiorentina, the Giallorossi prepare for the first away match of the season at Empoli and then their Champions League return against CSKA Moscow at home.
For the club’s Coach, though, team attention and selection is only on the weekend match.
“I need to maintain that full focus is on the next match,” Rudi Garcia has said in the usual pre-match Press conference.
“We're not thinking to the Champions League, I don't even remember who we're playing against next Wednesday. Tomorrow we have to play the most important match.
“Surely, there won't ever be a first Roma team and a second Roma team. I make my decisions depending on what I see in the training sessions, and I'm interested only in finding the best possible line-up to face Empoli.
Garcia has all available, except for Kevin Strootman and Federico Balzaretti.
“We'll have to play six matches in 17 days from now on, clearly by the fourth or fifth match the players of a certain age could face some problems, and I'm referring not just to Francesco Totti.”
Garcia hasn't revealed anything, as usual, concerning the expected starting line-up for Saturday.
“I've some doubts concerning the African players, Keita and Gervinho, involved for 90 minutes just two days ago.
“However, we showed clearly that our style of play is unchanged and that newly arrived players are already well integrated in the squad. Tomorrow we'll confirm two days are enough to be competitive.”
The Coach was reticent in adding further comment on the club’s fall-out with Mehdi Benatia.
“I've nothing else to say, he's no more a Roma player. But I'm satisfied of all my players. I've asked to the club to have at least two options for each role.”
Finally, Garcia offered comment on Douglas Maicon, axed from Brazil's national team for disciplinary reasons this week.
“I hadn't selected him against Fiorentina because he hadn't trained with the rest of us for a full week.
“Together, we agreed to send him to Brazil where he trained all week and played a friendly.
“Then he returned sooner than expected and trained a week with us. Now he's ready for our upcoming matches.
“We can't say what happened, it's a matter between him and Brazil, Roma has nothing to do with it.”