Roma captain Francesco Totti may not go straight back into the team for tomorrow’s clash with Real Madrid and could have a bit-part role, according to new boss Luciano Spalletti.
The 39-year-old forward, who has made almost 748 appearance for his club since making his debut in 1992, missed three months of the season through injury, only making his comeback in mid-January.
Since then he hasn’t held down a regular first team spot and Roma go into the game on the back of a four-game winning run that has seen them move up to fourth in the league.
As a result, boss Spalletti is keen to keep the momentum going and pick his best players for the match. He warned Totti that he may need to get used to playing a less prominent role for now.
Speaking to Madrid-based daily AS he stated: “I am the coach of Roma, not Totti. My primary objective is to get results, and to do that, I must make decisions based on current performance, not a player’s history.
“I believe Totti and I have a fine relationship, but you’d have to ask him for his point-of-view. Of course he is a player who can make things happen while on attack, but his qualities also depend on our opponents as well.
“He can create the perfect pass, but it’s hard for him to then sprint back 40 meters if the team is pressed. Right now, Roma cannot base itself on the legacy of one player.”
