25 October 2019
Bianconeri Head Coach Maurizio Sarri sat down with the media today to speak about his side next clash against Lecce, where he touched a number of topics, with tomorrow’s opposition being one of the first talking points.
“Lecce is a proactive team, who does not stop playing their football even when they are in trouble. It won't be an easy game, there are so many dangerous components to deal with mentally.
“The high temperature can affect the tempo of the game, as happened in Florence. However, the fixture list is like this, you have to be ready to face difficult conditions.
The Tuscan tactician then spoke about the condition of the team and how he may introduce a few changes to his line-up.
“Right now, we don't have a lot of options in order to completely rotate the squad. We'll change things with regards to the conditions of the players,” added Sarri. “Mattia de Sciglio has been training with the rest of the squad for a few days, but he needs a few more to be at optimum physical condition.
“Leonardo Bonucci has always played, and he was crucial. We'll see if we can give him some rest in the next few games.”
Sarri then went on to declare: “With Cristiano Ronaldo we speak often. Even he will need to rest sometimes, we'll see when based on how he's feeling. Cristiano and Miralem Pjanic decide between themselves on the pitch who takes the free-kicks. I've always liked Pjanic, he's a quality player. I asked him a few things, without upsetting his nature, and he was good at making himself available. He is expressing himself at a very high level.
“Paulo Dybala has always done well in the season, so I expected a great performance from him. I had no doubt.
Sarri wrapped up the press conference by providing an update on the injured Douglas Costa.
“If Douglas Costa is still not training with the team but is still being seen to by the medical staff, it means he's not yet ready to return.
