Di Francesco: Manolas available for derby

Roma boss Eusebio Di Francesco faced the media on Friday afternoon, to preview Saturday's Derby della Capitale.

The game at the Stadio Olimpico gets underway at 20:30 local time.

Read what the boss had to say going into the game...

How are the players looking going into this game?

“Mentally they're all ready to get stuck into this big match. They've all trained well this week and we've been able to work on some of the areas we need to improve on.”

What tactical difficulties will tomorrow's match pose?

“A derby always poses difficulties. We'll be up against a side who are very dangerous on the counter and good at getting midfielders into the box. It will be tough as derbies always are. They have quality throughout the team and a player such as [Joaquin] Correa who's difficult to contain in one-on-one situations.”

Will you play with a back three again tomorrow?

“There could be some logic in that but I'm not going to tell you how we'll play as I don't want to give the opposition an advantage. We've switched between two different formations recently, sometimes during the same game. Football is a dynamic sport and Lazio alter their playing system too. You choose the system based on the attributes of the players you have.”

Is Nicolo Zaniolo relaxed about playing his first derby?

“He doesn't need to be relaxed. He needs to be determined, focused and aggressive. I haven't said much to him about the derby because it's not a game you need to motivate players for. He has plenty of team-mates who can explain it to him. He'll be one of those involved and we expect a big performance from him.”

Will Kostas Manolas be involved?

“He will be available for the game. He came through the full training session with the rest of the team yesterday and he's shaken off his ankle problem. It looked worse initially but it's ok now. He'll train with the rest of the squad today and then we'll decide tomorrow.”

Stephan El Shaarawy seems to be one of your most important players at the moment. Will he play against Lazio?

“We have lots of important players in this squad. El Shaarawy can't play alone, only as part of a collective and he's playing for the good of the team at the moment. He's raised his level and improved his consistency this season. I'm happy with that but it's not enough: he must keep improving.”

Is it a good or a bad thing to have Roman players in the team? Players that know the importance of the game, but also might be carried away by it...

“I've had good results as a coach. Players like [Alessandro] Florenzi and [Daniele] De Rossi have lots of experience and I think they have more to offer the team than they take away.”

Is De Rossi capable of playing two games in a row, considering the next one is against Porto?

“I can't tell you if he'll play tomorrow. All I know is that the next match is always the most important match. He's been training consistently and looking good. He's fine at the moment and he's improved his fitness.”

Is Edin Dzeko's barren run at the Olimpico merely a coincidence?

“Yes, because he's scored in the Champions League. I'm very pleased with what he's offering the team. He puts himself at the service of others. His fitness has improved since his injury. If he scores then I'm very happy. I like the way he's playing games and that he's happy at the end of the match even when he doesn't score and the team win.”

You've won a derby playing 4-3-3 and another playing 4-2-3-1. What formation will you adopt tomorrow?

“We have to focus more on our attitude than our playing system.”

Simone Inzaghi has said that Lazio would be higher up the table without the injuries they've had. Do you think the same is true for Roma?

“I don't like talking about who's not available or giving the players excuses. That's not the reason why Roma have the points we deserve to have. We could have done better in certain games. Lately we've had a little bit of luck while other times things haven't gone as they should have.

"Injuries are part and parcel of any club's season. For now we have to concentrate on what we have, like the Champions League last-16 – that's definitely a positive thing.”

Which team will be under more pressure tomorrow?

“Both sides. It's a really tense derby. We don't want to slip away from the Champions League spots while Lazio want to close the gap with us. It's a tricky match and losing would be a blow for either side.”

Is it more about the head or the heart tomorrow? Do you want to say anything to the fans?

“I think the fans will be fired up for it as it is. We'll play with passion, heart and commitment. Dzeko's 95th-minute winner at Frosinone made for a tense finale but it some ways it's brought the fans even closer to the team. I hope to see the same celebrations tomorrow and I hope we can produce a top performance. We'll put our heart before our heads.”

You favoured [Ivan] Marcano over Juan Jesus against Frosinone. What was the thinking there?

“I was caught in two minds because both of them had trained really well. Juan Jesus was coming back from an injury and Marcano had been training consistently and played against Chievo. That's why I decided to give Ivan another chance and I think he did well at Frosinone, where I needed a player good in the air against physical opponents.”