Real Madrid not on Spalletti´s mind

Luciano Spalletti will not allow next week’s Champions League clash with Real Madrid to distract Roma against Carpi on Friday.

Roma are looking to reach the quarter-finals of Europe’s elite club competition for the first time since 2007-08, and welcome Madrid to the Italian capital on Wednesday for the opening leg of their last-16 clash.

Spalletti’s side are in fine form as a return to European football looms large after three successive wins in Serie A, and the head coach is keen for his players to maintain their focus and improve that record.

“Our thoughts are on this game here,” Spalletti told a media conference. “We have some players back, and we’ll make our choices. Tomorrow is the priority, I’ll make my choices based on the game tomorrow.

“If you think beyond the next game it’ll all go wrong. Juve have won 14 games in a row, Napoli 10. If we want to compete we need to put together a streak of our own.

“If we think about any game other than tomorrow, then we haven’t understood anything. Tomorrow is crucial. We want to keep up with the great teams.

“All of us, the players and the management are striving for success. Either we get results or we all fail together.”

Daniele De Rossi and Francesco Totti will miss the trip to Carpi due to injury, however Edin Dzeko is fit to start.

He added: “De Rossi is not better, he’s still out. The staff who manage him are convinced that they have a solution, I hope to have him after Carpi.

“Totti has been training very well with everyone after the game, but yesterday he had a little problem with his calf.

“Today he felt the same twinge as yesterday, he won’t be involved in the game. [Antonio] Rudiger is available, he’s fine.”