Jose Mourinho thanks Andrea Belotti for pushing through the pain of a cracked rib to start for Roma, while Paulo Dybala ‘could come on for 10-15 minutes,’ but insists it is no longer special to face Inter as a rival.
It kicks off at the Stadio Olimpico at 17.00 UK time (16.00 GMT).
The squad is decimated going into this match, as Zeki Celik was sent off in the 1-1 draw with Monza midweek and Stephan El Shaarawy limped off with a thigh strain.
Belotti was not expected to feature at all today, yet he is in the starting XI rather than Tammy Abraham, who is rested ahead of the Europa League semi-final with Bayer Leverkusen.
“It’s the same as on Wednesday, we lost Celik with that red card. We’ve got Matic back from his ban. Belotti will make an effort to give us a hand, an important help,” Mourinho told DAZN.
As Paulo Dybala and Gini Wijnaldum are on the bench, could they perhaps come on as well?
“Maybe there are situations at the limit where we can feel the game is in the balance, perhaps Paulo could come on for 10-15 minutes. Wijnaldum, Smalling, El Shaarawy are on the bench because we want to be together, but they cannot play.”
Is it special for Mourinho to face Inter as an opponent after winning the Treble with them in 2010 and becoming a legendary figure for these fans?
“No, I work on my own mind in this sense. Apart from what I may feel for a club, I was the son of players and coaches, I have an ultra-professional mindset. I can be honest, whether I am facing Inter or any other club, I am thinking only of Roma.”