Fonseca: We need to think big

Cengiz Under is back in training with his team-mates. How is he? Is he ready for tomorrow?

“Yes, he’s ready. He’s trained with the team in recent days and he’s ready.”

Udinese are coming off the back of a heavy defeat to Atalanta. What kind of match are you expecting?

“I’ve not seen that game because it was different to their other matches. I know Udinese are a better team than that because before that game they’d only conceded six goals and had the best defensive record in the league. Physically they’re a strong side, they keep it compact in defence and are very good on the counter, with players that are quick and strong. I’m expecting a very difficult game.

Why did you decide to start Gianluca Mancini in midfield against AC Milan?

“Given our injury crisis I decided we needed an aggressive player in that position but also somebody with a good passing game. He’s the best centre-back we have in terms of building the play, so I decided he was the best solution at the time.”

Alessandro Florenzi is known as a complete player. What’s he going through at the moment?

“He’s our captain, he’s a great player and he always trains hard. In the last two games against AC Milan and Borussia [Monchengladbach] I decided on different options for the team – that’s all. He’s not played recently but he will certainly play in the future. There’s no problem. It’s just a question of options.”

Will Aleksandar Kolarov be rested?

“No.”

How is Henrikh Mkhitaryan?

“He’s improving. It’s a slow process and we need to wait a few more days for him to recover, but his return is not far off.”

What will Cengiz’s return bring to the squad?

“Cengiz is ready and will travel with us, but he might not play from the start. He’s not in the best physical condition. He can play in various different positions, both wide and central, and he’s an important player for us because he’s fast and helps us find space. He’s important at different times in the game, but he’s not ready to play a full 90 minutes.”

Will Javier Pastore be rested after playing several games in a row?

“Nobody can rest here. I’m not planning on making many changes. The team played well against Borussia [Monchengladbach] and AC Milan.

The team has carried a real threat from set plays in recent games. Are you practising routines with Jordan Veretout playing the ball in?

“That’s no coincidence because we have players that are strong on set plays, like Mancini, [Federico] Fazio, [Chris] Smalling and [Edin] Dzeko. It’s an important part of the game that we need to make the most of and continue to use.”

Pastore has said that the team has been impressed with the coaching staff. What kind of work are you doing with the team?

“We need to be an ambitious team and against Sampdoria, for example, we weren’t. We need to change the mentality and always go out there to win. That needs to be the mindset for anyone who plays at this club. It’s important that the lads understand how necessary it is for them to fight, run and always aim to win. That’s the most important thing for me.”

With such a positive atmosphere among the players, what’s the biggest danger you face right now?

“There are always dangers. We need to focus on the importance of winning every game. The past is the past: we just need to focus on our next game against Udinese. I feel a real sense of unity among the team, but we’ve won nothing yet. We need to think big and we need ambition, but we can’t start thinking we’ve done it all because that’s not true.”

Is Serie A the way you expected it would be?

“Serie A is very difficult for everyone. All the teams have quality and even the last team can beat the first – it’s not easy to win games here. There are some teams that are better than others, but you always have to be at your best. Every game is different. We have to do a lot of work on strategy, because the opposition always have different systems. It’s not easy to win here.”

Are you worried that Udinese might try to shut up shop and defend after the Atalanta debacle?

“I’m expecting a totally different game to the AC Milan match. I’m expecting a compact, tight, aggressive team. It’s not easy to play when there’s not much space. I think it’s going to be a difficult game against Udinese. We need to fight, run and implement the tactics we’ve worked on in order to be effective.”