Udinese coach Kosta Runjaic spoke in a press conference ahead of the match against AC Milan on Saturday afternoon. Here are his words.
“We made good use of the break, especially the first week. We trained intensely and over the weekend, almost all the players had two days off, so we used our time well. [Martin] Payero and [Sandi] Lovric are fully recovered and will be in the squad. [Florian] Thauvin is still dealing with a minor issue that arose after a foul that wasn’t given against Inter. It's a slight rib injury and it still hurts a bit, so he can't train with the team. He’s having physio, being monitored and working out in the gym every day, but he's not yet 100% ready to play. I can’t give you clear timings on his recovery in terms of whether he'll be available next week or not. He wants to return as soon as possible, but he’s still in pain. We have good news about [Thomas] Kristensen, who will return to training with the team next week and [Alexis] Sanchez is also on track. I hope to see him back in the group very soon. Unfortunately, [Arthur] Atta has picked up a muscle problem and we’re not yet sure if he’ll be available tomorrow. The players who were on international duty have all returned in good shape, and we are looking forward to the game.
“Every match is unique. After the break, we face Milan and it’s a good opportunity to earn points. We’ll do everything to make life difficult for them and prevent them from showcasing their quality. We need to close down spaces, be compact and stay focused. They may not be at their best right now, but they have great individuals, especially in attack, with some of the best players in Serie A. We must work together and support each other. The balance between attack and defence will be crucial, as will keeping possession and trying to make them run. We’ll see if we can achieve that. I’m satisfied with our performances so far, but we need to be more courageous at the start of games and bring more energy to the pitch. We didn’t do that against Roma, but we’ve learned from that game. If we get everything right, we’ll get a good result, but we must start well. The match can be decided in three or four minutes.
“[Damian] Pizarro is improving. He’s training with the team, but you can see he still needs to work hard because he lacks match rhythm. As I mentioned before, he got injured during the first phase of preparation, returned and then got injured again. We need to manage his workload carefully and not rush his return. He’s a good, intelligent and ambitious lad, and he’s shown in training that he can be dangerous near to goal. We need to give him time and support.
“I'm considering Iker Bravo. He has trained well. He’s had good football training, as you can see, he has good principles of play and he scores a lot in training, showing he has that special something. He wants to play all the time. We’re thinking about it. I’m not sure if he’ll start, but he could make an appearance.
“We're pleased with [Lorenzo] Lucca’s Italy debut, especially at his home stadium. It was a great experience for him. The national team has a lot of quality and now it’s up to him to stay there by working hard. We want him to become a regular member of the national squad.
“We turned in an “average” performance in the first half against Lecce, with some good moments and others less so, and it wasn’t easy for Brenner either. He held onto the ball less than expected, made some mistakes, lost balls he shouldn’t have, and he knows that. We talk a lot. As his coach, I give him a lot of attention. He’s improving, has produced some good plays, but faces strong competition. He must prove himself every week. He’s working hard and he knows everyone has to train well and prove they deserve to be on the pitch when given the chance. He has good qualities, knows where he stands and the team has faith in him."
“I won't reveal the line-up yet, we haven’t made any final decisions. We’re excited to play in this match. Milan are a very strong team and they play at a wonderful stadium. It’ll be my first time there and also for some of the players. The key is not who plays, but that, as a team, we must make life difficult for Milan.
“A couple of days ago, I watched the documentary about Napoli and it showed [Rafael] Leao making a 70-metre run against Napoli to assist [Olivier] Giroud. Leao and [Christian] Pulisic are difficult to contain if we don’t work together. If we let them run, they are very dangerous. When they pick up speed, they trouble any team, so there’s no real formula to stop them. What we can do is give them little space, work together, stay compact and avoid sloppy mistakes. I remember that against Lecce, a simple lost ball turned into their best chance. That shouldn’t happen, especially not against Milan, as they are a top team. I’ve known Pulisic since his days in Germany. Leao is incredibly strong and everyone would want players like them in their squad. We’ve talked about them, watched videos and reflected on how to handle them, but they are unstoppable and can decide matches. These are the kinds of players people come to stadiums to watch.”