Monchi believes Roma will continue to improve ahead of Shakhtar tie

Monchi was asked about that clash, and Roma's frustrating 0-0 draw with Chievo Verona in Serie A on Sunday.

JOURNALIST: Would you have preferred to have drawn Sevillla?

MONCHI: "I’ve already said that I didn’t want to draw Sevilla, for a number of reasons. We’re up against Shakhtar and we hope for the best."

What are your plans for the January transfer window?

"We need to finish this year first – we still have several important league matches and then we’ll work together to decide if we need anything. As things stand, I think our reinforcements will be [Patrik] Schick, Emerson [Palmieri] and [Gregoire] Defrel. Let’s not forget that the transfer window doesn’t open until 2 January so we need to stay calm and work together to figure out whether we need to do anything."

Did the squad rotation harm you at Chievo or was it just Stefano Sorrentino’s performance?

"We need to rotate the team because we have lots of games to play and we need to manage the squad. Sorrentino was one of the key reasons behind the draw. We need to look at what we did well and what we did badly and then continue doing what we’ve been doing so far. We’re really close to the teams at the top of the table and we’re confident that we can reach them."

Mentality is key in the Champions League – how big an impact has Eusebio Di Francesco made from that point of view? In terms of staying focused for the whole game, for example?

"I agree – that’s a key part of his mentality. We need to stay on this path because he’s the one that’s brought us this far. Yesterday we broke a record for the number of shots in an away game, so we should have scored, but I’m pleased with the mentality he’s brought to the club."