Gasperini's pre-Lazio press conference

See what the boss had to say below.

How do you feel going into your first Rome derby? Do you expect to have Wesley and Mario Hermoso available?

“We don't know about those two players yet. Wesley had a bout of gastroenteritis which gave him a bit of grief. We'll see if he's better. Hermoso will have a runout on the pitch today. We're not particularly optimistic but I'm still holding out a bit of hope.

“As for the derby, we know how much it means – the fans, the tifos, the colours. It's a special match, a very different match, regardless of the league position. It's a city rivalry on the pitch and that makes everything more tense.”

What worries you most about Lazio? And given that this derby is only the fourth game of the season, do you have to win it or could a draw suffice? 

“The only memorable derbies are the ones you win. You don't remember the draws and you quickly forget the defeats. It's only the wins that stay with you. Playing the derby on matchday four is not common and at this stage of the season teams are perhaps thinking more about building and growing. This is what the fixture list has thrown up. There's more tension and focus on the league.

“Lazio are a good team with a great coach who has done well everywhere he's been. They didn't buy anyone but they haven't sold anyone from last season either. They got very good results last season, apart from in the last two months. I know what a good team they are and how good some of their players are. It's a top-level match.”

Age-wise you and Maurizio Sarri are the most senior coaches in Serie A. Can you still surprise each other after facing off so many times? And on an emotional level, would you say this is the toughest and most thrilling challenge of your career?

“Right now I'm focused on the present. This is a great challenge and one where I can bring my personal experience to a place like Rome. That's one of the reasons I made this choice. I'm convinced it was a good choice. In any case, I have to look at the present and try to achieve as much as we can with what we have at the moment. I'll have to step out of my comfort zone, as I'm used to playing a certain type of football with a certain type of squad with certain attributes, but this is another challenge. I'll have to try different routes and different situations while maintaining my principles, which are to always have an attack-minded team which tries to win the game through good football and through the 'battle' that is a football match.

“Sarri and I met in Serie C when he was in charge of Arezzo and I was at Crotone, then in Serie B when he was at Pescara. One thing we have in common is we both had to work our way up from the bottom. He proved himself in the lower leagues and some of his teams were held up as examples of how to play good football. I started off with academy teams. Everything we've done, which led to us playing this Rome derby, we obtained through our results.”

Could Lorenzo Pellegrini be involved in this match? Have you had the chance to talk to him?

“Footballers are never short of desire – not just for this type of game but playing in Serie A for Roma is always something special. I don't think his desire has changed. Anyone I ask to play tomorrow will be more than ready.”

How's Artem Dovbyk's fitness coming along? You're familiar with the Genoa derby, which can perhaps be likened to the Rome derby. What extra element do you need in games like this? 

“You have to be ruthless in the key moments. Everyone has focus, attention, emotion. You just have to be good enough to make sure those moments go your way. That's what determines not only derby encounters but all matches where there's a fine balance. It's the small details that change games and turn results one way or the other, above and beyond any tactical considerations.

“Dovbyk is like any other player. He didn't come on against Torino because there was another situation. We didn't play well against Torino but I don't think we were any worse than our opponents. We perhaps didn't deserve to lose it. We lost to a single shot on goal. We didn't prepare for that game particularly well as we had the internationals coming back during the week. We were off colour but we won the other two. That's it. Now we have another game.

“I want to see the team's growth. Some players who were expected to leave – like Dovbyk, Pellegrini and [Tommaso] Baldanzi – didn't. I have to bring them back into the picture. When the transfer window shuts, I only look forward. I need all the players in the best shape possible. So Dovbyk has to do well, Pellegrini has to do well, Baldanzi has to do well, and the same goes for Hermoso, who wasn't supposed to be here. We have 22-23 players and we must get the best out of them. I'm sorry when we play below par like against Torino, but just as you move on after a win, so too must you move on when you lose. Tomorrow I want to see a team playing better than in the last game and show all the good things you can find in football.”

Could Pellegrini start the game or is he a card to play during the match? Could Kostas Tsimikas push Angelino for a starting spot?

“Tsimikas joined us after the international break and has started training with us. He's starting to settle in. After Lazio we have lots of games so he'll play. I don't know when but he'll get on the pitch and he'll play. He's been here a week, which is as long as you get to familiarise yourself with opposition teams. He might start tomorrow or he could come on. Sooner or later he'll play. Then his performances will determine everything else.

“As for Pellegrini, I consider him a great player, potentially an exceptional player. It's the same with [Paulo] Dybala. Then it comes down to performances. He was sidelined for months. He's been training for a long time and he obviously doesn't need any introductions to the group. His time could come sooner or later. Tomorrow? Why not. Physically he's fine. He's ready to play. I don't know how long he'll last. With the quality he has, I expect him to become an athlete too and perform at a decent level because the potential he has is immense. Why hasn't he fulfilled it? I don't know. Or perhaps he has at times. He's an Italy player and [Gennaro] Gattuso is waiting for him but you need other values. He's 29. Why shouldn't he run and be fit? He can do the lot. He's even better pushed slightly further forward.

“Last Sunday Neil [El Aynaoui] played. Maybe he needs a bit more time and a different position. He can play high on the left. [Niccolo] Pisilli can play there. [Bryan] Cristante can play there. But he certainly has the qualities. I do need to know something though: Am I to bring him back in by myself? Is the club ok with that? Are the fans ok with that? Because he's potentially a top-level player but I can't do it if he's not in the club's or the fans' good books. I need the best version of Pellegrini. If we can get him back together, we have a top player. Otherwise it becomes a problem and we'll need to look at another player. I look at the performances and I pick what I need.”

Do you think the coaches, yourself and Sarri, could be the stars of this derby?

“Yes, but sadly we can't play. Tomorrow we'll take responsibility but whoever plays must perform to the best of their ability. These games are highly anticipated by the fans. Of course it's a shame there are some injured players as it takes something away from the game but at the end of the day it's 11 v 11 and they can all represent their club and do well.”

Given that you need to improve fitness levels, are you considering changing anything about the way you play?

“The principles won't change but I do have to consider the attributes we have because – as I've said before – Pellegrini is not a striker, Baldanzi is a trequartista, and [Leon] Bailey and Dybala aren't available. I have to work with the attributes available to me. This is an excellent team. I'm not even sure we've lost certain attributes. You can't erase two months of work after one game that went the way it did. We've had some excellent performances, some excellent impressions, and shown we can play a certain way. The principles don't change. I have to bear in mind the attributes we have, otherwise I'd be going against my nature and I don't intend to do that now. Maybe I should have done it before but so far it's worked well like this.”

Roma's attacking statistics aren't exceptional. Have you just been a bit unlucky?

“I wouldn't say unlucky. When you attack and when you defend you have to do so with everyone. It's not only down to the forwards. When you're not scoring enough, you have to find solutions and improvements in the whole team. Otherwise it would be too easy, and it's not. Recently we've done certain things well. That's one area where we must do better, but we must do better as a team and not lay the blame with individuals.”

What will be more important tomorrow, pressing high or shutting out all the space between the lines? 

“I think we'll need to do both things well. We need to be aware of our opponents' strengths as always and play to our own to cause problems for them. That's how you prepare for games, then we must try to play well enough to put into practice what we want to do.”

Can El Aynaoui play alongside Manu Kone or do you see him as an alternative to Kone?

“No, they can play together. In the last match he played a bit further forward but it's not an easy position. I think he can play in any of the three midfield positions. He's a versatile, dynamic player.”

Could Matias Soule playing in the hole be an option? And do you think the kick-off time might have an impact?

“The problem with playing at 12:30 is the heat at this time of year, but it's a problem for both teams. Playing in these temperatures is an extra difficulty for all the players.

“We've tried Soule in different positions in training. He's playing well and last season he often played on the wing. We're playing him further forward and he's scored. Playing him in the hole is something to consider.”

How is Stephan El Shaarawy doing?

“Apart from the players I mentioned earlier, the others are all fine.”