Stefano Pioli urged his team to move on from the tie against Salernitana in the presser before facing Udinese: “We are in good form, and we just made some mistakes in the previous game. We expect a more solid and convincing performance tomorrow. The squad evaluated the last match with attention and lucidity. We were too frenetic. We must focus on ourselves and not pay attention to the results of the other teams.”
The coach dished on Franck Kessié and Alessio Romagnoli, who are on expiring contracts: “It is up to the front office to take care of these issues. They are serious and professional players and always on the ball. We do not know how things will evolve in the future.”
Pioli ruled out Zlatan Ibrahimovic for the Udinese tilt: “He is improving more slowly than we anticipated. He is day-to-day, as he has resumed practicing in the gym and on sand. He will get back on the pitch soon. His intention will be key in determining whether he will extend his contract. In my mind, given his ambition, I am convinced he would like to continue playing.”
The gaffer addressed the title race: “We are in a particular stretch of the season. I think that the fact that none of the top-seven clubs won last week was unique and unrepeatable. Our goal is to collect more points than last season, and it would be exceptional if that led to winning the Scudetto. We have built a robust home, and we are competitive. Now we have to embellish it.”
Pioli concluded speaking about Ante Rebic: “He is a high-quality player, and his conditioning is improving. Two among him, Rafael Leao and Olivier Giroud will start, while I will need the third one off the bench.”