El Shaarawy: I'm focused on forcing my way back into the starting lineup

El Shaarawy has predominantly been restricted to a substitute role so far this season for the Giallorossi, despite enjoying a prolific first six months at the club after joining in January.

But an injury to Diego Perotti has opened the door for El Shaarawy to receive more game time in the coming weeks - and the Italy international is determined to make the most of that opportunity, starting against Austria Wien in the Europa League on Thursday.

“It’s been different to last year, but in terms of my fitness and mood it’s been very positive," El Shaarawy said. "Obviously right at the beginning the coach went with other players, but when you play for such a big club there’s always going to be competition. That’s completely normally and I’m not worried at all.

"I’m training well and just focusing on showing what I’m about and forcing my way back into the starting line-up.”

Where do you think you can improve?

“I can definitely be more clinical when I get into the final third. I want to be more decisive when I create chances. I’ve always said that I need to work on my left foot and that’s something I’m trying to do.”

What can you do to get back into the national team picture? Do you need to focus on a more defensively-minded role?

“I’ve always said that I have no problem playing in any position. I can play as a left-sided wing-back too, because I enjoy alternating between attack and defence. The coach has made his decisions and I don’t have a problem in respecting them. If I want to get back into the Italy squad I need to perform well here – that’s my main objective. I want to wear the blue shirt of Italy again but first and foremost I need to hit top form with Roma.”

How tough is it to play in a stadium with no supporters? Do you have an opinion on the matter?

“I hope we see a full Olimpico again soon because we need their support now. We are well aware of how important that backing from the fans is – especially the Roma fans – because they give us a huge boost. They’re a real asset and I hope to see them back at the stadium as soon as possible. We all want that.”

Do you think the team has lacked consistency so far this season?

“I’ve never had any doubts about the quality of this team, but it’s true that what we’ve been lacking is consistency. Even in the past, the same kind of thing happened despite Roma having great sides. Last year we managed to find some consistency and we secured some fantastic results, so we need to reproduce that again.

“Not all teams are capable of taking six points from games against Inter and Napoli – we have real strengths and we’re a great side, but it all comes down to how we approach games and our attitude when we take to the field. In terms of quality we can go toe to toe with anyone – you don’t score three goals against Napoli by accident. We showed personality, dominated possession, played confidently and deserved to score even more.

“We’re on the right track, we have a top coach and the only way is up with him.”

You’re not in the starting line-up at the moment. How hard is it to make a difference coming off the bench?

“For any player, confidence and consistency of performances are fundamental. It’s harder to change the course of a match when you come off the bench, but the coach makes the decisions and I still think you can make a difference even with just ten minutes on the pitch. The most important thing is to train well.

“I need to put in the effort to give the coach a bit of a headache when he comes to picking his starting line-up. All players need confidence and consistency, but the boss has been happy with how I’ve played coming off the bench in recent games. I need to keep that up and I hope to make the most of any opportunity I get tomorrow.”