CONCEIÇÃO: "WE NEED TO GIVE OUR ALL"

Serie A is on the horizon. It's derby weekend, with AC Milan v Inter scheduled for 18:00 CET on Sunday 2 February at San Siro. On the eve of the clash, Sérgio Conceição gave his thoughts during his pre-match press conference held at Milanello:

HEADING TOWARDS THE DERBY
"We know Inter well; they're a group that have been together for a long time, and that’s an advantage for them. We’ll try to counter them, aiming to exploit their weaknesses. We’re focused on delivering a great performance to win. I’m always more concerned about what we do; there are strategic situations to be mindful of, but the main focus is on us. The Supercoppa is in the past, and I expect a different match. In these kinds of games, there are no favourites, and we need to give everything.

THE TEAM
"We're far from where I want us to be and have very little time to work, but that's not an excuse. I want a team that is compact, presses high, has great intensity, gives few opportunities away to our opponents and creates a lot. Only with maximum effort can we perform at our best and aim to win, and I, for one, am trying to do more every day. In terms of the media, I've read a few lies about us, which makes managing a group that needs to grow quickly even more complicated. We have plenty of positive energy, but we need to be men and try to change regardless. I'm passionate, and this sometimes gets mistaken for nervousness; that’s just my character. We need to work on building the foundations to emerge from this complicated moment in the Club’s history."

INDIVIDUALS
"Walker is feeling good and is an option. Thiaw has returned to training and has been feeling positive, while Gabbia trained again today after the calf knock that forced him to miss the second half against Zagreb. Both are available, though they're obviously not in the best condition. Abraham up front? We’ll see. Fofana's absence? We have alternatives."

TRANSFER MARKET
"I've already said that, for me, the winter transfer window remains open for too long; it's not ideal for the players, and not just for them either. Tomori? I rely on all my players and don't take into account the market when I make my choices; if he needs to play, he will. Morata? I’ve spoken to him; the market is what it is, and it depends on the will of all the parties involved. Giménez? I won’t talk about him because it's not official yet."

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