Roma coach Ivan Juric explains why he still won’t give Mats Hummels a start even during an injury crisis, insisting this is ‘the team that can give us the best chance’ of beating Union Saint-Gilloise.
It kicks off at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels at 17.45 GMT.
The mood in the Giallorossi camp is grim after two defeats in the last three Serie A rounds, including the 3-2 at Hellas Verona over the weekend, leading to reports the coach could be dismissed.
He decided to rest Paulo Dybala, Artem Dovbyk and Matias Soulé ahead of the Serie A meeting with Bologna, so why did Juric rotate for Europe?
“We know Paulo needs time to rest, while Dovbyk was suffering from flu symptoms over the last few days,” Juric told Sky Sport Italia.
“Our mentality is that we have to win the game, we need positivity, so this is the team that can give us the best chance.”
Juric will not give Hummels first Roma start
Despite the absence of Evan Ndicka with flu symptoms, plus injured Mario Hermoso and Alexis Saelemaekers, Roma are still not giving Hummels his first start for the club.
The veteran German international has seen only one Serie A substitute performance all season since arriving as a free agent, instead Bryan Cristante and Angelino are pushed into centre-back roles.
Does that mean Juric is definitively dropping Hummels?
“It is a technical decision. I always think of fielding the team with the best chance to win. It is a technical decision for tonight.”
In all competition, the coach managed just four wins, two draws and four losses since replacing Daniele De Rossi on September 18. Is the team behind him?
“I think the last two performances showed good football. Some strange things happened in Verona, our own errors and those of the referee, this team is trying to do well. Tonight is very important, as every game is when you are in a negative spiral.
“We want to raise the level and concentration. What I see in training is satisfying, now we must be resilient, strong and try to win.”
While Juric has rotated the squad, the midfield remains solid with Enzo Le Fée and Manu Koné.
“We have some pretty short players today, so cannot be too dangerous on set plays. The midfield pairing of Kone and Le Fee can become very impressive, they are combining their characteristics well, are young and fresh, they have a bright future ahead of them,” concluded Juric.