Mario Rui: Making my debut in the derby would be amazing

Having rejoined first team training last week, the Portuguese is delighted to be back on the brink of competitive football.

See what he had to say when he sat down with Roma TV...

You've been back in training with your team-mates for a few days now. How's it been?

“It's been good. Hopefully it won't take me too long to get back to full fitness. Everything's going well.”

You played for the Under-19s last weekend. What was it like to be involved in a match again?

“It was great to get out there and play for the Primavera on Saturday. I felt like a kid playing his first game. I'm not going to forget about it in a hurry.”

It took you exactly four months to recover from your injury – that's pretty speedy going.

“Four months may seem like a fast recovery but I can assure you the days didn't fly past for me. You can recover from injuries like that more quickly nowadays but to me it felt like it was never going to end. I was lucky because I had lots of great people around me giving me all the support they could.”

What was the hardest moment?

“The first month was hard because I couldn't even help my wife around the house. That was really tough.”

Was there anyone in particular who was especially supportive during your recovery?

“There were lots of people but the main person I must thank is my wife. She did absolutely everything and more besides at home. Everyone at Trigoria was really supportive too: my team-mates, the coaching staff and the medical staff.”

Did Luciano Spalletti say anything special to say to you these last few months?

“He was always asking how I was doing and keeping tabs on me.”

The fans have offered their support too. How important was that for you?

“Yes, whenever I went to the stadium, or even just when they saw me in the street, they'd wish me a speedy recovery and say they hoped to see me on the pitch as soon as possible.”

Alessandro Florenzi has the same injury as you. Do you have any words of advice for him?

“No, because he's been working really well ever since he first got injured – he doesn't need any advice!”

Now you could make your debut in the derby...

“That would be amazing. It's not going to be easy but it would be great if it happened.”

The Rome derby has always been a special game. Have you been able to appreciate what it means to the fans?

“Even before I came here I knew what a big game it is but since I've been here the fans have made it even clearer! We want to go out there and play it without thinking about anything else except getting the three points.”

Both teams are up near the top of the table so there's more than just local bragging rights at stake this time...

“It's been a few years since there was a derby like this. Hopefully it will be a good game and Roma will win it.”

Has Spalletti spoken to you about the match itself yet? What does he want you to be especially careful about?

“We have to be careful about everything. Lazio are in decent form but we'll set out to prove we're the better team on Sunday.”

What do you think of Roma's season so far?

“It's been good, despite all the injuries. We've had to make do without lots of players but we're in a good position in the league and we're in good shape too.”

You've got a tough run-up to Christmas: Lazio, AC Milan, Juve then Chievo. Do you think it could prove to be a decisive month?

“It's certainly going to be very difficult but we're Roma. We'll keep doing the things we're doing and try to win every game.”