Gennaro Gattuso will lead his Milan team in a delicate match against Lazio, who leads the rossoneri by one point in the standings. Gattuso spoke to the press leading up to tomorrow's match.
"I would have preferred another 2-3 weeks of a break. Some of our boys are tired, they are just returning from the international matches. We know it is a difficult moment due to injuries but it should not be a reason for excuses. We trained well. I see a vibrant squad, even those who are returning from their respective national teams, I really like the spirit and i am very satisfied."
"Romagnoli and Musacchio could be available in 2-3 weeks, this is my plan with my medical staff. There are great professionals here, this year we had only 5 muscle injuries and they all got hurt at the same time."
"Çalhanoglu is getting better. He had to manage lately because he was not physically fit, his foot was still hurting him but he still stayed strong and battled on. We need him, as he adds quality to our team."
"The words from Ibra? I do not need his comments to know how my team is fairing. He is always ready to wear a jersey with such a glorious history and he can be useful to us. I have not won anything yet, I lost an Italian Cup final. Ibra was my teammate and we have a great relationship. We need players like him and I thank him for what he said, let's see how things go."
"Often times the weaker squad can beat the stronger one. Even during the game against Juve, it wasn't just a game to throw away. You can tell the difference. We aren't as strong, but we can better challenge those types of teams by having fight and the right mentality."
"We've played better the past two months, now we're working to climb in the standings. The newspaper comments do not bother me. It can happen that players who arrive here have family problems like Bonucci who made a precise choice. Higuain never told me he wanted to leave, I only advised him to be less nervous."
"Cutrone should just play his usual game, we should be able to play as a team and he has to make the best out of every ball that comes his way and also exploit his characteristics. He must not feel too many responsibilities and should not be pressured. Simic? It's a possibility that he plays. We've tried a defense of 3; we must play those who make us the strongest."
"It's been a year since I've started here, but it feels like a lifetime. I've lived it all like it's something special. I didn't realize that I was third in the standings for points, this is thanks to a group of great guys. This team has grown a lot and they still want to improve. We've allowed goals this year and have had a lot of injuries in defense, but I'm convinced that we'll play a great match tomorrow."
