MILAN - Ahead of Inter's Serie A opener against Treviso, head coach Roberto Mancini answered questions in a press conference at Angelo Moratti Sports Centre after Saturday morning's training session:
What do you fear about Treviso?
"The championship is different from the other competitions. It's the first match tomorrow and we face a team that has nothing to lose. These are always the dangers of the first match of the championship. It will be a very tough clash that we will have to face with the maximum concentration. It won't be easy, but a lot will depend on us. If we do well we will win, but we need to do really well."
Do you already know your team to face Treviso?
"Certainly."
How is Martins on his return from Nigeria?
"Martins was back training and this is important. He's still not that well, he's still feeling a bit of pain. We will evaluate his condition tomorrow, but it's unlikely he will recover."
Could we see Luis Figo on from the first minute against Treviso tomorrow?
"Figo is a bit better and needs to start playing now. I don't know if he will be able to start from the first minute or if he will come on during the match."
Can you tell us how important Figo will be for this Inter?
"Not yet. He hasn't trained with the team much. After the first few training sessions he left for his national team, then he returned and this is the first week we have been together. But in between there were two competitive matches. I still can't make a judgement of this kind because he has missed eight to ten days of training with the team. I can certainly say that he is a great professional and that there are no doubts about this. He always gives his best in training and there's no questioning his technical value. He's a fantastic player and a great professional."
You have a lot of great champions in midfield. How difficult is it for you to choose four to field?
"It's not difficult because they are all good. They have different characteristics and choosing will also depend on the matches and the number of commitments in a week. It's not a problem, it's important that the team approaches matches with the right mentality and the desire to do well. It doesn't matter who plays because all the players are good."
Does Dejan Stankovic risk being a bit suffocated by the midfield choices?
"Dejan has done very well up to now, apart from the match against Shakhtar when he came off at the end of the first half because he had a problem with the back of his leg. Up to Wednesday he has been perfect in his role, both in the pre-season and competitive matches. In Donetsk, for example, he was extraordinary. Maybe you expect a player like Stankovic to do everything, but if he plays in a role he must do what he has to do in that position. And he's so good that he can play in every midfield role. However, he's feeling better now."
