Spalletti: You can't keep every player

Wednesday's meeting with Sassuolo saw the Roma coach questioned at his pre-match press conference about both clubs' development of young players, with the Neroverdi having acquired a number of Giallorossi academy graduates in recent times - most recently Federico Ricci, who joined the club on loan in the summer - with much success.

Elsewhere in Serie A this term on-loan forward Iago Falque has already struck a number of goals for Torino, while Adem Ljajic has also got off the mark for the same club.

None of those players had forced their way into Spalletti's first-choice plans at the Olimpico, and the coach acknowledged that it then becomes tough to judge which players need further opportunities to earn that right and which ones would see their careers and development aided by the chance to get more game time elsewhere.

“[Sassuolo] have taken a number of youngsters from Roma who I believe to be very good players," Spalletti noted. "I had to make some decisions in the transfer window and when faced with a choice sometimes I prefer to go with other players. That might mean someone has to go elsewhere to advance his career.

"They're not all cut out to fight for a place in the team and make the most of just five minutes if that's all they get. Take Iago Falque for example: he wanted to go somewhere else to get more game time and we can see that he made the right choice.

"Ljajic is another one who loses a bit of his spark if he's not playing regularly. When it comes to making decisions on youngsters like [Federico] Ricci we have to ask ourselves if it's better to send them out on loan or keep them as a reserve.

"You might end up regretting the choice but all the while they're improving as a player. It's hard to guess right every time.”

Falque in particular has been one of the league's most effective stars so far this season. The Spaniard started 13 league games for the Giallorossi last season, but already has seven starts for Torino this term.

“I found myself having to discuss some positions, where I decide who the starter is and then beside him is someone who might not want to stay if he doesn’t play,” Spalletti explained.

“He might want to be selected every time. Iago Falque is a wonderful lad who is doing really well right now and that calls me into question.

“He wanted to play, and I told him ‘I can’t guarantee you’ll play’. He spent afternoons training alone to give me a headache, then he goes away to play and makes you see he was right. These are the assessments we have to make.

“You can’t add Falque’s five goals to Roma’s, because they probably wouldn’t have happened.

“Sometimes you can get it wrong. If Iago Falque tells me I’m wrong, maybe in interviews he doesn’t say anything, but if he said: ‘boss, look at the numbers’? What can you say? He’s right.”