At 02:45 on September 6 (CEST), Rome time, Roma will host Atalanta in the 3rd round of Serie A. Ahead of the match, Roma coach Gasperini held a press conference. This article is the second part of the press conference.

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Hello coach, I'd like to ask about the development and integration of 19-year-old talent Mora. After all, he's been with the team for a very short time. We saw him start in Roma's first Serie A match, but in the second match he was back on the bench. I'd like to know if this frequent rotation between starting and substitute roles will be the norm going forward, and will the competition for positions between him and Soulé continue throughout our season?

I have to repeat this tirelessly every time I speak. We've played only two official matches, and he's featured in both. So I must emphasize again: never categorize players with rigid thinking about "starters" and "substitutes." In modern football, the idea that "only starting players are absolute regulars while substitutes are secondary backups" is flawed. I genuinely hope this tactical philosophy will eventually be understood and accepted by the media and fans.

Indeed, he's still very young with extremely wide and promising potential for improvement. He also needs to gradually adapt to the rigorous tactical demands of Serie A football. But in my view, in the home match against Fiorentina and the away match against Lecce, he has already fully demonstrated his remarkable talent and skill.

As you just mentioned, given that he's only 19, he does have room for improvement in physical duels, endurance, and energy management throughout a match. We must assess him rationally and comprehensively, considering his age and developmental stage. But I firmly believe we are dealing with an excellent young player with extremely rare talent and a promising future. I think his value and significance are undeniable to anyone.

Good afternoon coach, I'd like to ask about the latest injury updates on two other key players: has Evan Ndicka fully recovered from the physical inflammation he suffered during the away match against Lecce? Also, captain Pellegrini recently returned to group training. Approximately when can we expect his full recovery and return to the pitch to lead the team? Additionally, I'm curious about the coaching staff's strategy regarding player rotation and physical management this week, because there's quite a bit of time between tomorrow's match and our first Champions League match next Thursday, and then the following Monday we immediately face Torino. With such a tight, uneven schedule, will we see extensive rotation tomorrow? Or do you prefer to make major rotation adjustments in the third match against Torino?

First of all, in football it's very difficult to plan rotations or predict match outcomes far in advance. An ideally designed rotation plan can often be ruthlessly overturned by reality, because unexpected situations always arise on and off the pitch. So we must take a pragmatic approach of "taking one step at a time and focusing on the current match." Although match intensity is genuinely high, what happens on the pitch is completely unpredictable.

Furthermore, over the past two months we've experienced an almost miraculous period of complete injury freedom, and the coaching staff has a fully healthy squad, though players have returned at different times due to transfers or holidays. However, once intense Serie A matches and demanding European competitions on two fronts begin, players will inevitably be sidelined by injuries. We can only hope psychologically that these injuries are only minor fatigue or bruises with recovery periods lasting just a few extremely short days. But injuries are unavoidable with such frequent and high-intensity demands—it's an inevitable part and harsh reality of football itself.

So you can fill your notebook with tactical plans like "I'll play A in this match and B will replace him in the next," but on the pitch reality will force you to make immediate adjustments. The principle I've always tried to uphold and implement is actually quite simple: if a player shows physical fatigue or has minor injuries or pain limiting his performance, I will definitely prioritize fielding another player who is 100% at peak physical condition.

Many of my starting adjustments and tactical decisions are based on this protective consideration of ensuring tactical effectiveness. As a team, we cannot always detail to the outside world and media before every match, saying "Oh, this player took a knock in training and has some pain, so he's limited and can't start." We cannot and should not always reveal such confidential information. So in this situation I'll field a player who is completely physically fit, which not only ensures our effectiveness on the pitch but also gives valuable three or four days for full recovery to players with minor injuries without the pressure of a match. Of course, if a serious injury occurs requiring months of recovery, we can do nothing about that.

Regarding Evan Ndicka's injury, his recovery is currently much better than expected. I believe he can be included in the squad and will feature tomorrow. Today we'll have another key team training session where we'll conduct final testing and assessment of his physical condition and Dybala's condition to see if they've fully recovered from fatigue and injury.

As for Pellegrini, the situation is this: he's returned to the training pitch and started basic group training with the main squad, which is undoubtedly a very positive sign. However, regarding reaching truly high levels of match intensity and physical demands, I cannot give an exact timeline. We may have to see if he can make it for the Inter match. If it's too late, we'll have to wait until after the international break and the league's resumption to see him again.

Переведено ИИ.

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