José Mourinho talked to the press before facing Milan: “Rui Patricio is ready, as he shook off a back issue. Lorenzo Pellegrini has recovered well. He can play, but maybe not the entire 90 minutes. Having too many options has never been an issue, and it is surely better than the opposite.”
The Portuguese gaffer spoke about Ainsley Maitland-Niles: “He is not a Roma player yet, and I will comment on it once it will be official. I can only say that he grew up close to me when I was in England. Everybody knows how our transfer market will go. We will have to improve the squad with one or two players on loan. We are in trouble when Rick Karsdorp is not available. We are trying to get him, and then we will see. If we finalized one acquisition early, then we could do another one later on.”
Mourinho was asked whether there are teams he would not coach and did not mention Milan despite his Inter ties: “I am a professional and saying that would be a risk. For instance, I would not manage Lazio now, but I am sure they feel the same. But it is not for lack of respect. I have had any problem with the Rossoneri. I think history is mostly made of trophies. You can do a great job even without winning anything, but it is not the same.”
Roma are rumored to have a no-vax in the squad: “It is a matter of privacy, and we value it. Some had COVID-19 and asked us not to mention their names. The same goes for the vaccine. But the law is the law. The government took a decision, and we will respect it. I do not think it will be a issue.”