Friday, 16 February 2007 15:26:24
APPIANO GENTILE - After this morning's training session and ahead of Saturday's Serie A clash with Cagliari, Inter boss Roberto Mancini answered questions from the press in his pre-match news conference:

Mancini: Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been called up for the match against Cagliari. How is he?
"We will see how he is tomorrow."

Has he done well in training this week?
"He did well in training last week, too. This week he has trained as normal with the team."

Commenting on the race for the Scudetto, Marco Materazzi said yesterday that it will be very important to do well in the next three matches..,
"We will certainly have to do well. And it will become it bit more difficult for Roma if they drop a few more points. However, it's not much use to talk now because there are still many games to go. We have to do well in our next two to three games, and then in our next two to three games after that. We are certain that Roma won't give up, and that it will be like this until the last five or six rounds of matches."

Will you take account the Champions League clash against Valencia when making your choices for tomorrow's match?
"We must win tomorrow. If I make changes, it's because I also have to think about the long term. We will start playing every three days from tomorrow. I will need everybody, and from time to time I will have to rest some players for the coming months. There will be a few changes tomorrow, but it will still be a strong team on the pitch that will do everything to win. Nothing changes for us if we change a few players."

How is Patrick Vieira?
"He's okay. He just took a knock to his ankle in training."

Julio Cruz is another player back to full fitness. You now have all your strikers available.
"Almost all of them. Recoba is not fit. I hope having every player available can be our strength in the months ahead, even though some players will sometimes have to put up with not playing. Having them all available could be an advantage that we will have to try and take good advantage of. All our strikers have contributed to the results we have achieved so far. All of them have helped the team and scored decisive goals."

Inter could notch their 16th consecutive league victory tomorrow. This would be a new record for the most important leagues in the world. How do you feel about this?
"I have always said we would be pleased, but only if we're remembered for having won the championship at the end of the season."

It's Adriano's birthday tomorrow. Could this affect your team selection?
"Absolutely not. I'm pleased it's his birthday. Birthdays are always nice days."

Tomorrow you face David Suazo, a striker you rate highly. Can you confirm this opinion of him?
"Yes. He's a player with certain characteristics that our strikers probably don't have. He's a very fast player who has improved a lot since he first came to Italy."