How are you choosing which of your players will start against Borussia?
The criteria is the same for all the players, not just the younger ones. We will see who needs a rest and who needs match pratice. There are a number of factors for deciding who gets in the starting XI tomorrow.
Is Lovren ready to play? If he does play will he get the captain's armband or will Dzyuba remain captain?
Dejan will be back in training today, but as for playing in the match, that’s still in question. I will decide who is captain when I select the starting lineup. We have a number of players who can be captain and depending on the starting team, then we will choose the captain.
Borussia has already qualified for the next round and might play their reserves in St. Petersburg. Would you rather play their best side or a reserve team?
That’s a difficult question as Borussia have 20 players who can rotate in and out of the team. There have a number of key players like Hummels or Haaland, who is scoring a lot and can alter the course of a game, but Borussia have enough players to rotate their team without losing quality.
You have known Axel Witsel for a long time, is he an example for footballer playing in Russia?
I was happy to play and train with Axel. he is a real professional and everything he does is an example, both on and off the pitch, for his teammates. He is a player any manager in the world would be glad to have in their squad.
Usually you say you are only thinking about the next match, but the match with Borussia is valueless. Are you thinking more about the games with Dynamo and Spartak, which happen very soon?
As for those upcoming matches, of course, we are keeping them in mind. Anyway, regardless of our motivation for this competition and we have had this before, we will not slow down and will play to win. When it comes to the Premier League, we need to get through this match without compromising our style of play and with everyone getting through the game in good shape. This is what we always do and will continue to do, regardless of other factors.
