Ranieri: I want men who know how to react to adversity

The match at the Stadio Olimpico gets underway at 21:00 local time.

Are Cengiz Under, Javier Pastore and Lorenzo Pellegrini back available?

“I’ve not had them available for long so my job is to put my medical hat on and think carefully about who can play from the start, keeping in mind the fact that I can only make three subs. They are available, but to an extent.”

Will Sunday’s defeat and the 7-1 loss in the Coppa Italia spur the team on?

“I hope so – I hope those defeats provide us with motivation to respond. Many of the seven goals conceded in the cup game came from long balls over the defence, which is something that Fiorentina are very good at regardless of who plays. We need to focus on not giving them the space to attack to do it again.”

Are Roma lacking the kind of player that can win the ball back? Can Steven Nzonzi and Daniele De Rossi work as a midfield pairing?

“You’re right in saying that, but playing with two central midfielders can give us a filter. You can make different choices when you have everyone available.”

Given that you don’t have time to build an attacking identity at the moment, could players that are able to beat a man represent a key asset?

“I think so, but the most important thing is to consider who is in good shape physically. I make a lot of considerations: who is good at the one-on-ones, who is capable of playing the full 90 minutes, who has recovered… I’ll take all of that into account in choosing the starting line-up for tomorrow.”

How are Edin Dzeko and Patrik Schick? Could one of them start from the bench?

“Maybe – we’ll see how they are. I need to look at Dzeko, who has picked up knocks to his hip and ankle.”

Roma have conceded 62 goals this season. Are you planning on changing anything?

“I’m spending 25 hours a day thinking about how to help this team. It’s not easy but I’m putting everything I have into evaluating everything possible: personnel, playing systems and opponents.”

Will you stick with Robin Olsen?

“I’ll make the call tonight after training, or I might wait until training tomorrow morning. But that doesn’t just go for Olsen, but for the whole team.”

Do you think Francesco Totti should have a more important role at the club? Could De Rossi be given a role when he retires?

“De Rossi will think about that when he retires. Francesco has already taken on an important role here. He stopped playing 18 months ago and is being slowly introduced to the other side of things. He is a key presence for me and the team – then it’s up to the club to decide the best direction to go in.”

Did you speak to James Pallotta after the Napoli game? Do you think the team is struggling to show its true quality?

“I didn’t speak to him. The team is going through a difficult time. I looked at the data on speed and distance travelled: we ran as far as Napoli but they ran as a team and we didn’t. We misplaced a lot of passes, which is down to the lack of confidence of the lads, but I want to see players that can react in the face of adversity. It’s too easy to do well when the team is doing well – we need to help ourselves when things are going badly. The players need to help each other reciprocally.”

Do you think that Justin Kluivert, Ivan Marcano, Ante Coric, Nicolo Zaniolo and some of the Primavera players might be able to play with more freedom at the moment? Can you trust them?

“I think I’ve already used Kluivert and Zaniolo, but I want to say something. When things are going well, it works whoever you bring on. When things aren’t going well, young players can work but you need experienced players who can guide the others.”

Might we see a midfield diamond tomorrow?

“I’m weighing up all the options but I want to see how we train and look at the responses I get from the players today.”

Why isn’t the team able to stay compact and tight? Do you still believe the fans can make a big contribution?

“Obviously I want a compact, tight team – but it’s easier said than done. The team has been put together to press from the front, but we need to try to stay compact and avoid giving the opposition chances to hurt us. The fans have realised that the team needs them. The Curva Sud supported the team right to the end. I ask the fans to support us but I know the fans want to see a reaction from the team – a rebellion on the pitch that drags the people behind us.”

Is Roma’s biggest problem the fact that the team is still conceding lots of goals?

“I’ve told the team not to play the ball around in our half of the field. I don’t understand why all teams nowadays want to start the play from the goalkeeper. All coaches make their own decisions, but I want us to stay compact so we can help each other. If you stay compact, you can mask other problems, but at the moment we’re not able to.”