Roma will host Athletic Bilbao in the first round of the UEFA Cup on September 27 at 3:00 am Beijing time. Before the match, Roma manager Ivan Juric attended the press conference and answered reporters' questions about the team's recent situation, players' status and game strategy.
Responding to the high-intensity schedule of three matches in a week, Juric said, "We have not yet decided on the final rotation list, and there will be further training tomorrow morning to observe the players' condition. But for sure, we will definitely make some adjustments to make sure the players are in the best shape for the games."
Talking about how he feels about taking the team to Europe for the first time, Juric appeared calm and focused: "I will prepare for this game in the same way and will not let any external factors interfere with our preparation program. The fans will support us as always, and their support is our motivation to move forward."
Regarding the injury situation of key players such as Dybala, Juric said, "Dybala is recovering positively, but we still need to cautiously assess his playing status from a fitness perspective. We hope he can maintain good physical condition and contribute to the team for the whole season. As for the other players, we will also make a game-by-game selection based on their form."
Looking ahead, Juric didn't give any specific performance targets, but focused on the upcoming matches, "I sincerely hope that the team will win tomorrow's match against Athletic Bilbao. I'm only thinking now about how to prepare for the game and how to make the right choices to help the team achieve good results."
Speaking about the strength of the team, Juric spoke highly of the players: "The team is very good and I would like to use 20 players and be satisfied with all of them. It's impossible to be perfect, but we've done well. Especially newcomers such as Quadio Kone and Matias Sule, they all have a lot of potential and I'm sure they'll grow fast over the course of the season."
Juric also gave his opinion on the configuration of the lineup and the positions of the players: "Cristante is more of a central midfielder, he can command the game and knows everything on the field. Angelinho, on the other hand, is a versatile player who can play either as a wingback or as a centerback. We will make the most suitable arrangement according to the needs of the game and the characteristics of the players."
Finally, Juric also revealed Hummels' recent news: "Hummels is in active recovery, he is not yet at his best but it is already a positive. We are confident that we will soon see him excel on the pitch."
