Spalletti: We have a squad built to cover injuries

With a spate of defensive injuries limiting his defensive options the coach admitted that Daniele De Rossi could drop in as cover, as the Giallorossi look to maintain their advantage at the top of Group E.

"The injury list is pretty long tonight," Spalletti began. "Emerson Palmieri was added to it yesterday, while Kostas Manolas will be back in training on Monday.

"Moustapha Seck will come back to the fold on Friday or Saturday. Francesco Totti has a niggle in his left hip flexor, so we'll have to assess him next week.

:Federico Fazio suffered an injury to his right calf in our last game so we'll see tomorrow if he can play or not. He won't take part in today's training session."

Thorsten Fink said that he'd be happy with a point and Roma are the better side. Is he just trying to ease the pressure on his players?

"He's right, this is how it is. We're playing for the victory. He might be happy with a point but we're not. Mind games or not, he can do what we wants but this is how we're setting up."

How will you line up in defence in view of the injuries?

"We have built a squad, especially in defence, to ensure we're not left short on players. This is the situation right now and tomorrow I have guys available who can slot into our backline perfectly. I have trust and I put trust in my players. Daniele De Rossi can play in defence tomorrow; this is one of his attributes and it could be a new avenue for him in the future. He can play centre-back, so we're OK and we're capable of putting out a line-up tomorrow that deserves respect.

"I've played so many games where I've been missing players, but I never remember who they were. The guys who have stayed at home can't score goals tomorrow."

Might there be a chance for Juan Iturbe or Gerson in attack?

"Seeing as they already know half my team because it picks itself, I prefer to keep silent on the other players until tomorrow evening."

What kind of contest are you expecting tomorrow and what have you learned from the match at home?

"We've learned a lot from the previous game. Above all we have to remember the mistakes we made in order to ensure they don't happen again. Nevertheless, I think Roma have grown a lot recently, even if the stats don't back this up. I feel there's a difference air about the players and I noticed this after the Empoli match as well: they couldn't accept the fact we didn't win our last fixture and you could sense the frustration when we analysed the reasons for the result. They couldn't accept anything less than a win on Sunday, and this is true of the whole squad and changing room, not just the individuals who have this characteristic in their DNA."

How is Kevin Strootman doing and how vital is he for the present and future of Roma? He seems close to a new contract.

"He's in the starting XI tomorrow. He's one of those players who as individuals cannot bear it when things aren't going well, so it's only natural that his presence is important in a team and a club like ours. It's normal that the club is considering the prospect of continuing with such a great professional as him."