APPIANO GENTILE – Andrea Stramaccioni will be without Walter Samuel for tomorrow's match in Udine as the centre-back has been ruled out with a groin strain: "Samuel is one of the best defenders around," the coach explained. "He's a key player for us but we managed to find our balance without him on Wednesday and I hope we'll be able to do the same again tomorrow."
Samuel is not available but Andrea Ranocchia and Juan are: "Ranocchia is already a player you can rely on; he's important for Inter and he showed that against Cagliari. Juan is a youngster with bags of promise and he played for me in the Primavera team. He's working hard in training and when his time comes I'm sure he'll be ready and will do well."
From the defence to the attack, and a player who is
impossible to ignore because he's turning out one fine performance after
another: Diego Milito. "Looking at the first three games he's
played under me, I don't think any figures are needed to understand
that he's in sensational form. I'm certainly not the
first person to discover his talent; his performances at the
moment leave no room for doubt."
With Milito in such fine fettle - the journalists in the press room wondered - what role does Giampaolo Pazzini have to play, and is there room for Diego Forlan? "Pazzini was decisive on Wednesday because he came on and boosted our attacking line; I'm not surprised that the winning goal came while he was on the pitch. He's a great footballer and a remarkable professional. He has every chance of being involved during the game. Give Forlan another chance? It's not about giving him another chance because he's never been discarded: he's one of several quality players we have who can play off our centre forward."
Another of those quality players is Mauro Zarate, who president Moratti yesterday said could be signed on a permanent deal: "The president showed once again how smart he is because he looks at what happens on the pitch. I told the president I didn't think we had ever seen the real Zarate at Inter. But in any case that's something for the president and Marco Branca to assess at the end of the season. At the moment, Mauro is starting to show why Inter decided to invest in him, but he can still do a lot better. As for making the deal permanent, that's part of the mishmash we're all involved in. We'll see."The coach was then quizzed on when Maicon and Wesley Sneijder might be seen in action again, and whether the Brazilian may have to undergo an operation: I've heard that's a possibility but I don't know. Franco Combi is working with them, and they are both desperate to return. Wesley is having two training sessions a day at the moment and Maicon is working very well. We'll wait for them."
Speaking to Inter Channel after the press conference, Stramaccioni answered a question from a fan - through Roberto Monzani - about Davide Faraoni and what the coach sees as his best position: "Faraoni is lad who I think, and we've spoken about this together, can play at full-back or wide in a four-man midfield. Those are the positions where he gives the best of himself. I don't think he really has the characteristics to play as a wide forward. With the system we're using at the moment I see him at right-back or left-back, since we're not playing with four in midfield for now."
