Di Francesco's pre-CSKA press conference in full

Wednesday's game in the Russian capital gets underway at 20:55 local time (18:55 Italian time).

Read what the boss had to say in the transcript below...

Will you pick a more conservative team, with Alessandro Florenzi pushed up, or are you planning to attack from the off?

"Regardless of whether Florenzi plays further forward or deeper, the line-up is not the thing that makes the difference in terms of aggression. I believe that regardless of the option I go for, our mentality must remain the same. We need to make sure we take control of the game and then figure out where we need to change things during the match. We need to have that desire to hurt our opponents."

Do you want to prove a point after the Fiorentina match?

"I think the images from the Fiorentina game are clear. We had a non-existent penalty given against us and that influenced us. We need to get better at not allowing these things to get to us. The team needed to react straight away but we waited too long to get back into it. We dominated the game in the first half and we could have had it won. It’s happening too often. We had plenty of chances against SPAL but we failed to react properly after their goal. We must improve. To become a great team and to improve you need to do better during the game and focus on playing, not get caught up in protesting."

What kind of work are you focusing on right now?

"Our work continues. We have 27 games left to play in Serie A. We need to show that we’re on the right track in the Champions League tomorrow night. It’s a chance to show everyone that we’re up for this. The team is improving in terms of its fitness and playing style. I need more consistency – when the great teams win in the last minute, it’s because of their mentality. We need to make sure we believe in our ability without getting caught up in the little moments. That’s a fundamental part of the mindset."

Are you annoyed by Paulo Sousa expressing his interest in the Roma job?

"I’m not interested in what Paulo Sousa has said. I was told about it. I have other things to think about that are much more important – like tomorrow’s game. It’s up to the media to decide whether he was tactless or not."

You’ve made lots of changes to the midfield this season. Why is that?

"I saw we were struggling to exert pressure and get players close to Edin [Dzeko]. We were hanging back too much and struggling to counter. We’ve improved the way we link up now. Lorenzo Pellegrini was one that had a very good game in Florence, creating the offensive triangles. We were able to escape the Fiorentina press well and it meant that there was another player closer to Dzeko, which allowed him to try different things during the game – something he likes. Let’s hope that means he can score a few more goals, not just in the Champions League but in Serie A too."

Will the return of Igor Akinfeev in goal for CSKA change anything after he missed the match at the Olimpico?

"He’s good with his feet and can start the build-up play well. I pick my forward players based on my needs and on the game in question, so the opposing goalkeeper isn’t going to make me change my mind."

Apart from the cold, what are the biggest issues involved in tomorrow’s game?

"We intentionally came a day earlier so that we could adapt to the climate. In terms of the game, I think they make good use of the two attacking midfielders and the striker in terms of stretching the team. They have quality players, they’re dangerous and they showed that against Real Madrid. That said, we need to play even better than we did in Rome – we need to seize control of the game in the early stages. They were really aggressive against Madrid, especially at the start of the game, and they were able to get their goal. We need to expect the same sort of approach against us. There’ll be a lot of fans there too."

Could tomorrow by Justin Kluivert’s night?

"I’ve never been afraid of throwing young players into the action. Justin could start tomorrow. Don't be surprised if he's in the starting line-up."

Can you ever get used to all the ups and downs you’re experiencing?

"We’ve had lots of ups and downs this season but I would like to change that back. We need to continue to believe in what we’re doing and focus on securing big results. Edin has spoken about [Patrik] Schick, underlining the fact that a goal can change the dynamic for a player – and it’s the same for a team. A win would restore our confidence. We came close – look at Napoli. Results will help us to pull it back. I’m calm in my work and my main focus in on preparing for the game tomorrow."