Fonseca previews derby: We know what it means to the fans

Sunday's game at the Stadio Olimpico gets underway at 18:00 local time.

Here's everything the boss had to say ahead of the contest...

What did it mean to the team to have the fans cheering them all inside Trigoria today?

“It's wonderful to see our fans showing us their support as they did today. It makes me really happy and it means so much to us. Our fans have always been there behind us. We must play well and pull out all the stops for them because they deserve it.”

How are the players shaping up? Will you be able to get a few of them fit for the derby?

“[Diego] Perotti and [Javier] Pastore aren't fit enough to start the game but they'll be on the bench, which is good news for us. The lads are fine – they're motivated and confident. We have every chance of producing a fine performance tomorrow.”

Who will play in defence? Are you considering playing a back three?

“We'll play with four at the back. We'll see who will start.”

How is Justin Kluivert?

“Kluivert had only been training a few days after coming back from injury and then he played 90 minutes. He was very tired but played against Juventus because we didn't have any other options with Perotti and [Nicolo] Zaniolo injured. I've spoken to him and he told me he was very tired against Juventus. This week he's been able to recover and I think we'll see a different Kluivert tomorrow to the one that played against Juventus.”

How big a blow is Amadou Diawara's injury?

“I'm optimistic about Diawara but the next few days will be important. As things stand, I don't think he'll need an operation but we need to assess him over the coming days. That's what I think anyway. He's definitely improving. I spoke to him today and he told me he feels much better than yesterday. We'll see if he needs to go under the knife or not – it all depends on how he responds in the next few days.”

Is Bryan Cristante up to playing a third game in a week? Or might you play [Gianluca] Mancini in midfield?

“Cristante will play. He's not in top shape as he's coming back from an injury but we don't have many options at the moment. Mancini playing in midfield isn't the same thing as Bryan playing there, and it would mean making changes in defence and in midfield. I don't think we should change too much in this match.”

Have any of the players been particularly influential in motivating the squad going into this derby?

“They're all up for this one. It's a special game and you don't need to say anything extra – motivation is already sky high.”

A few years ago, a Roma employee said: 'You don't play derbies, you win them.' Do you agree with that?

“It's an interesting saying but I think the team that plays the better football is more likely to win. If we go out there thinking luck comes into it, the chances of us losing will be very high. I think that when a team bosses the game, takes the initiative and has a bold approach, they have a better chance of winning. It doesn't always happen of course but that's what I believe.”

Aleksandar Kolarov has looked a little drained in the last month. Are you working on a particular solution considering that Manuel Lazzari will be playing on that side?

“We'll see tomorrow. Let's wait till tomorrow and then we'll find out.”

You've won 11 matches but of the top nine teams you've only beaten AC Milan. Did you expect to do better in the big matches?

“We've only lost to Juve, though. I never know the result before the match but I always set out with the aim of winning. It's hard to win games in Italy, whether you're playing SPAL or Juventus. What matters is your attitude, how hard you try to win. No matter who you're up against. It's true that we lost our games against Juventus but I'm very proud of the courage we showed. We may have lost but our identity was clear to see: we played, attacked and created chances against Juventus. That's the most important thing.”

Would you like to comment on the offensive banner about Zaniolo?

“Yes. Whoever made it is not a football fan. Whoever did that does not love this game.”

Do you think Lazio are better than Roma at the moment?

“The league table says they're better because they're third and we're fourth. It's up to us to show we're better than them on the pitch tomorrow.”

Do you think Roma would have had different results without all these injuries?

“I'm just focused on the here and now and on what my team needs to do at the moment. We have the players we have and we can play with them. I have confidence in all of my players. If you ask me if I'm worried about the injuries because I don't have options, of course I am. But not because I lack confidence in the rest of the team. If one player isn't available, someone else plays. I don't like to complain. We'll play with the guys we've got and keep going.”

Have you been given reassurances about the club's transfer activity?

“I read that I'm supposed to be angry with [Gianluca] Petrachi and Guido [Fienga] but that's just not true. I'm working with the two of them to identify the best solution for Roma at this moment in time. We're all working together, as we always so. I'm confident that come the end of the transfer window we'll have the players we need. We're working every day to find the best solution for Roma.”

Do you feel you can make any promises to the fans about your team's attitude?

“What I can promise is that every day and in nearly all our games the players have shown the right attitude and played with courage trying to win. The fact we've lost two games to Juventus and one against Torino doesn't change my mind. No one can say we didn't show courage against Juventus. Yes, we lost. Juventus are a great team but we didn't play defensively against them. Our attitude was right and this team has nearly always had the right attitude. There have been two games where I've said I didn't like our attitude and you know which ones they are. But I've been proud of my players in the other matches.

“In the first game against Juventus we conceded twice in the first eight minutes and it's not easy for a team to come back from that. It's not easy when you're 3-0 down in Turin to come out in the second half, try to take the game to the oppsition and create chances. I think it's important to have that attitude and courage. We might draw, lose or win, but I'm proud of the attitude my players showed. We didn't set out to defend and just hope to get lucky. I'm happy with what we did – not the result, but the way we played.”

Matteo Politano has just joined Napoli with an obligation to purchase. Are you disappointed you weren't able to bring him to Roma?

“I'm not disappointed. We had three or four ideas for players who could play in Zaniolo's position and Politano was one of them. We had the possibility of a swap deal with Inter but it didn't happen and I don't want to talk about the reasons. I think Guido and Petrachi worked in Roma's best interests. If we weren't able to do that deal, there will be other opportunities. I think we'll have a new player in that position in the next few days.”

You normally play with a very high line. Will you do the same against Lazio?

“If we have the chance to do so, we will. I like defending as far away from our goal as possible. Sometimes the other team is very good and they force you to defend deeper, but we always set out with the idea of defending high up the pitch.”

Are you looking for a more physical forward like Zaniolo or a smaller one like Cengiz Under and Kluivert?

“On our list we have a small guy, a medium guy and a tall guy... I know exactly what we're after: we need a player who's fast, good at running into space and can stretch teams.”

Are you looking for another midfielder or will you wait to see how serious Diawara's injury is?

“We'll see.”

You have two Rome-born Romanisti in the squad: Alessandro Florenzi and Lorenzo Pellegrini. How are they looking at the moment? Do you think the pressure might affect how well they perform tomorrow?

“This week the players have all looked very motivated since the Juventus game. We all know how important the derby is but the players are calm and confident.”