Juric: Roma want ‘no excuses’ against IF Elfsborg | OneFootball

Roma boss Ivan Juric insists the Giallorossi want ‘no excuses’ in a Europa League game against IF Elfsborg, coached by one of his ex-Genoa players, Oscar Hiljemark.

It kicks off on Thursday at the Boras Arena at 20.00 UK time (19.00 GMT).

The Giallorossi opened their European campaign with a 1-1 home draw against Athletic Club, conceding a late equaliser, so the pressure is on to get their first victory.

“We want to do well in both Serie A and Europe, so my intention is to use the full squad and as many players as possible so we can always be competitive and fresh,” said Juric in his press conference.

Juric: Roma want ‘no excuses’ against IF Elfsborg

“When you have this many games and travel so much, in the long run, that wears you down. We need to be sharp in our decision-making and I will change a few things in the line-up, but not too much.

“I have seen a certain amount of possession in our games, but I want to introduce a more aggressive approach, especially when it comes to winning it back and pressing high because we want to keep the ball.”

Mats Hummels was a free agent arrival after the transfer deadline, but has so far barely featured in the Roma jersey.

“We haven’t decided yet. Hummels must get in shape to play. He was among the last ones to get to Trigoria [in the summer],” said Juric.

“He must be ready not to make any errors. Angelino recovers quite quickly and has done very well so far. I must decide whether he’ll start or not.

Oscar Hiljemark, a former Sweden international, is the IF Elfsborg coach, but he also played 13 games under Juric at Genoa.

“I wanted him at Genoa. We are on good terms, but it’s easy because he’s a great professional and was an excellent player,” said the Giallorossi boss.

“They are an aggressive team. I liked them in the games I watched. We are ready for a battle tomorrow.”

The game will be played on an artificial pitch, and the weather will be much colder than in Italy.

“We’ll face difficulties, but it’s a great opportunity to strengthen the group,” said Juric.

“We are a strong team, and surely I don’t want to see any undervaluation. We want no excuses for the pitch we’ll play on.”