Juric's press conference on the eve of Elfsborg

Here's what the Giallorossi head coach had to say...

Roma have stood out in Europe in recent times but have tailed off towards the end in the league. Will the team have more of a focus on Serie A, at least at the beginning?

"We got off to a bad start in Serie A. We’ve recovered some lost ground in our last two games, and next up we’ve got Monza, a crucial match as we head into the international break. That being said, we want to do well in Europe. As was the case against Athletic Club, my intention is to make use of the whole squad, calling upon as many players as possible so that we’re always competitive and fresh, as we’ve got a lot of games on our hands and away days are gruelling. We’ll have to be attentive and make smart decisions. I’ll change some players in the starting 11, making albeit only a few alterations.”

Your sides have been known for their reactive play, but in the last two games Roma have seen a lot of the ball. Why has that been the case?

"I think that we've faced opponents who’ve allowed us to have possession and I’ve got players who are apt at this. I want to get them into being more aggressive and intense, looking to win the ball quickly, but with the aim of enjoying possession ourselves. That’s the plan. They’re great in both attack and defence – winning the ball quickly, keeping it and moving it around. For long stretches we've done well in these three games but I think we can improve a lot in terms of understanding spaces and ideas. We can really improve in possession, but first and foremost we need to focus on winning possession, because that’s what we’re after.”

Has the time come for Mats Hummels to start a game? Do Angelino and Artem Dovbyk need some rest, or are they too important to the team?

"We’ve still got to make a decision on Hummels. He's our newest squad member. He needs to get into the right shape to play. Being a defender is a tricky job – you’ve got to be ready and make no mistakes. As for Angelino, he’s quick at recovering. He’s doing great so far. Regarding Artem, he looked a bit leggy last time out. We’ve got to decide whether to start him or bring him on as a sub.”

You worked with current Elsborg coach Oscar Hiljemark during his playing days at Genoa. What was he like?

"He was a very good player - I was keen to have him in Genoa. He’s a top professional, but unfortunately things didn’t go well for us during that period. At the same time, we had a good relationship - it's easy to get on well with him, he's a great professional and a great player.”

What do you make of Elfsborg?

"I’m a big fan of what Oscar is doing. They play with a 3-4-3 system which is similar to what we had at Genoa. That’s a sign that he’s taken on board things from that era. They’re an aggressive and direct team who know how to play good football. I was impressed by the games I saw of them. They’re a formidable team with great forwards and wing-backs - tomorrow will be a real battle. Oscar, despite his youth, is doing a stellar job."

Are we at risk of underestimating such games? How can we avoid slipping into this mindset?

"There are several pitfalls we face in this match, the artificial playing surface being one of them. However, we’re not going to drop our standards. We could slip up but our focus and desire to go away with a positive result needs to be high. I’m happy with the first week. We’ve been working hard, and with smiles on our faces. We’ve got some good results but there’s no way that we can think that we’ve made it. We’ve got a great opportunity tomorrow to consolidate what we’ve done and reinforce the notion that we’re a great side. We need to improve our mentality and this is how we should approach the game. I don’t want to see us underestimating this game at all.”

Given that Roma will be playing on an artificial pitch is there a reason why you haven’t practiced on one?

"Regrettably we’ve not been able to train on an artificial pitch in order to get used to it, but we can’t have any excuses. The lads will have a warm up, then they’ll adapt quickly and do well.”