The Warm-up: Campaign resumes with critical clash in Milan

The second half of the Serie A campaign gets underway with a huge match in Milan on Sunday - as the Giallorossi visit the San Siro to face Inter.

Roma fell to a frustrating 3-1 defeat when the two sides met at the Olimpico at the start of the campaign: can Eusebio Di Francesco's side get revenge for that disappointment, and continue an impressive recent run of form at the Giuseppe Meazza?

The pre-match reading

• Eusebio Di Francesco's pre-match press conference in full
• Kolarov wants side to show mental strength
• S quad list: Perotti and Gonalons miss out
• V iew from the Opposition: The scouting report on Inter
• Q UIZ: How well do you remember recent meetings with Inter?
• Numbers Game: Stats to know ahead of Inter-Roma

The form guide

Both sides spent the brief winter break reflecting on a somewhat stumbling conclusion to the first half of the campaign, with both teams falling slightly off the pace at the top of the table after a handful of unconvincing displays.

The Giallorossi go into this one without a win in their last four games - and with only one in their last six, a last-minute 1-0 victory over Cagliari at the Stadio Olimpico. Their last outing saw them succumb to a 2-1 home defeat against Atalanta.

Inter, meanwhile, have not won (in normal time) any of their seven games since a 5-0 thrashing of Chievo Verona at the start of December - with a penalty shootout victory over Pordenone in the Coppa Italia their only success in that span.

In Serie A, Luciano Spalletti's side have not won in their last four - losing to Udinese at home, Sassuolo away, and then drawing games against Lazio and Fiorentina.

Team news

Coach Eusebio Di Francesco will be without both Maxime Gonalons and Diego Perotti, who did not travel with the squad, while Daniele De Rossi will be a matchday decision as he recovers after a slight knock.

Rick Karsdorp remains a long-term absentee, but Gregoire Defrel is back in the group again after overcoming a knee injury.

For Inter, Spalletti has named 23 players in his squad for the match - with defenders Daniele D'Ambrosio and Miranda available for selection.

New signing Lisandro Lopez is named in the matchday group for the first time, but defender Andrea Ranocchia misses out.

The view from both sides

Luciano Spalletti: "I’m expecting it to be a match where they come to press us high in our own half,” he begun. “The great players will be the dangers and I know that quite well.”

“The guys are ready, they’ve been coaching themselves because they’ve trained and come back with their heads on right. Tomorrow? It will be a match played on an equal footing. We want to attack Roma and confront the difficulties that we might find in the match.”

Eusebio Di Francesco: "I want to see substance in what we do and for the team to show freedom, ability and quality play once again. To improve and grow, you need the courage to face fear head on.

"We’ve done a lot of tactical assessment to bring about improvements. Above all, we need to improve the way we threaten teams and be decisive in front of goal.”

Opposition danger man

MAURO ICARDI

It's not exactly a controversial or left-field decision to pick out Icardi as Inter's danger-man - no club in one of Europe's top-five leagues has relied on a single player more for their goals so far this season (51% of them coming from the Argentine).

Giallorossi fans will need no reminding of Icardi's qualities inside the box, given it was his clinical cutting edge that turned around the meeting between the two sides at the Olimpico at the start of the campaign - his one-two punch turning a somewhat one-sided affair into a smash-and-grab 3-1 win.

Icardi's clear and obvious threat is in reacting quickest to balls into the box from the likes of Ivan Perisic and Antonio Candreva - Roma will have to be constantly vigilant to that sort of move if they wish to subdue him, a constant battle of wits which could go a long way to defining the game.

Roma's one to watch

RADJA NAINGGOLAN

Forced to watch from the stands as Roma lost to Atalanta in their last outing, Radja Nainggolan will surely need no addition motivation to have his football do the talking during Sunday's game at the San Siro.

With Di Francesco perhaps slightly limited in his midfield options for this fixture, the Belgium international will return to the line-up forced to shoulder even more responsibility and importance - the sort of challenge he generally only ever seems to relish.

Scorer of two unforgettable goals in this fixture last season - almost single-handedly winning the game for his side - both the player and the fans would love nothing more than a repeat performance this time out.

Possible line-ups

Di Francesco has a number of injury problems to deal with ahead of the game, with the absences of Diego Perotti and Maxime Gonalons certain to factor into his plans.

The coach has previously made clear that both Radja Nainggolan and Edin Dzeko will start the game - but, given the injuries involved, the key decision could be whether the coach decides to continue with Alessandro Florenzi at right-back, or deploy him further forward on this occasion.

Roma fans will know from experience that Spalletti likes to rely on a core of players, lending a certain element of familiarity to his team selections.

The return to availability of Daniele D'Ambrosio gives the coach one dilemma, although you would have to assume the Italian will need to be at 100% to go straight back into the team in such an important game.

New signing Lisandro Lopez is similarly unlikely to walk straight into the side, while Borja Valero's likely continuation in a No. 10 role will see the other midfield pieces fall into place around him.