Spalletti's pre-Cesena press conference in full

The boss began by confirming some good news: that Alessandro Florenzi had begun training with the Primavera.

See what else Luciano Spalletti had to say about Cesena's threat, his squad's reaction to the defeat against Sampdoria, and some last-minute transfer speculation.

Tomorrow you face Cesena, who aren't going through the best run of form at the moment. Which players should you avoid underestimating?

"We'll be saying one thing to the players: Cesena knocked out Empoli after extra time and then Sassuolo. Their coach Andrea [Camplone] was already tough as a defender in his playing days. He has taken sides like Perugia and Bari to the Serie B play-offs. He's shown that he's able to add depth to his sides and rely on counter attacks with players like [Alejandro] Rodriguez and [Camillo] Ciano. They get their defence and midfield behind the ball and take advantage of the pace and unpredictability of their attacking players.

"Their coach knows how to get the best out of his players. We mustn't commit the error of telling the team that this will be an easy game. This match means a moment in the spotlight for the opposition, visibility. We will come up against 11 players who will triple their efforts when playing against us, and this is only right. If we're not able to prepare correctly, we'll end up like the other sides who were knocked out. We need full determination and focus."

How are you going to approach tomorrow's game?

"When one speaks about obsession, this isn't a turn of phrase or a way of thinking. I think the further an objective is, the more you throw yourself at it. It's something that you want, with all your strength and all your heart. As a result, we absolutely have to come together as a team again after what happened and win our next game, which is tomorrow evening. I'm expecting the right reaction.

"I think the media have got some things spot on, especially about me. However, when writing all this it's often said that some have lost and some have won. No one within the team has disassociated themselves with what happened: some are being portrayed as having emerged from defeat with victory. This is not the case in the dressing room; it has never worked like that with me. Tomorrow evening we'll show that it was a blip and that's the end of it."

Is Clement Grenier more of a classic central midfielder or an attacking midfielder? How is he doing physically?

"He's played everywhere in midfield. He's a technical player. He's not particularly quick and he may not be the shining light of the side, but he's always involved in play, has a great shot, moves the ball quickly and is neat in tight places, with quality and good decision-making. He can play anywhere in the middle of the park, but mainly in the central area of midfield.

"[Miralem] Pjanic is similar in terms of his ability to move the ball and bring quality to the play. He's also got a good shot and can score from distance. He'll be most comfortable playing either as a central midfielder or an attacking midfielder, but as ever that depends on the characteristics of the opposing team."

How was Thomas Vermaelen after the game against Sampdoria? Is the best approach to show confidence in him and play him tomorrow?

"He was just like everyone else in the team. He's not to blame for the loss. We believe that when you concede a goal, the move starts from the opponent's goalkeeper and not when someone strikes the ball badly. Luis Muriel didn't just beat defenders, he beat everyone and the stats will tell you that. There are many things you have to take into account. You can't look for meaning in individual incidents; we have to examine things differently, otherwise there will be scapegoats.

"The media reckoned [Edin] Dzeko was on his way out of Roma, but he's still here and he'll continue to do well. You made him stop playing well for Roma. Now it will be the same for Vermaelen. Juan Jesus had stopped, Emerson was no good, [Federico] Fazio was [unknown] but now he can play a bit. Now the same thing will happen again.

"One thing is right though: I'm the person responsible for what happened. However, Vermaelen is right up there with the others in terms of quality. He's exactly the same as those who get more favour from the media. For me, it's all about the group of players."

Are Roma done in the transfer window? Can you tell us what has happened with Gerson?

"I hope we're done because I've got what I was hoping for going into the transfer window. I wanted to convey my ideas to the team, above all. If the team knows what I'm thinking and I'm lucky enough that this plays out in reality, then I become more credible. I went and spoke with the players. I'm happy with the squad as it is and I'm going right to the end with this squad here. If this is what happens, I'm pleased because I'm convinced that this is a fantastic squad.

"I'm continuing my obsession, which will stop only when I have reached my goal. I'll be pleased if the team remains as it is.

"An offer has been put in for Gerson which I think is fair. Since he's got the chance to show his ability on a more consistent basis, the club has reached an agreement for this opportunity. Then you just need to look at the lad's personal situation with the team, but I'm not sure what has happened. It's all on stand-by. We could just get back to work with all the enthusiasm from before, keeping the thought in mind that he can always improve considerably. I can say one thing: if a good opportunity arises for [Moustapha] Seck, we'll send him out to get playing time. I'll be pleased if [Leandro] Paredes stays here."

Are Roma still at the same standard compared to their rivals?

"If I can manage to keep this squad as it is, I'll feel reinforced. We haven't lost anything on our rivals, we're still very strong. There's only one difference compared to the rest: we dropped three points in Genoa."

Have you spoken with Paredes about staying in Rome?

"I asked him if he wanted to leave yesterday and he told me he didn't. That response made me happy. In the aftermath of the defeat, when I was saying that no one had disassociated themselves from the loss, the fact that he said he wanted to stay strengthens the necessary desire and togetherness in the dressing room.

"We grabbed an opportunity with Grenier because we believe he's a player who will produce the quality he's shown at Lyon for some time now."

Have you spoken with Kostas Manolas as well? Is he part of that group of disappointed players?

"If Roma are a talented squad on a level with Juventus, it's because of players like him, Kevin Strootman, Radja Nainggolan and so on. I didn't pick him for one game and as a result the reaction is that he wants to leave? There are choices you have to make in a line-up and there are always three options: mine, yours and the right one. The players have to get used to the fact that they could be selected to play. I will always have respect for Manolas.

"Whereas we can recover from the match on Sunday, we cannot recover from a loss against Cesena tomorrow night. We've got the chance to get through to a wonderful semi-final for a place in a wonderful final with Roma. If Manolas gets picked tomorrow and leads the defence in the correct way, he'll show he's a leader like the rest. We believe Manolas is an excellent player."