AS Roma coach Luciano Spalletti is struggling to find solutions to his side's growing form crisis before Luiz Felipe Scolari's Chelsea steamroller comes to town for tomorrow's Champions League Group A clash.
Roma's weaknesses were exposed again in Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Juventus, a fifth consecutive loss in all competitions which has left them one place above the Serie A relegation zone.
The smooth passing game that gave them a domestic runners-up spot in the last two seasons is nowhere to be seen and the defence is fragile, shipping 17 goals in nine league games.
"I can't understand why we are unable to react after conceding a goal. We are soft, passive, in the hands of the opposition," Roma's former Chelsea defender Christian Panucci told reporters.
"It's a really bad moment for me and I confess that I can't eat."
Spalletti tried all sorts in the second half in Turin, switching winger Rodrigo Taddei with French playmaker Jeremy Menez, midfielder David Pizarro with striker Stefano Okaka and Panucci with fellow fullback Cicinho -- all to no effect.
CHELSEA CANDIDATE
But the coach, a candidate for the Chelsea job before it went to Scolari, believes his side really lack confidence rather than tactical nous.
"This side need enthusiasm and tranquillity to play well and at the moment we have neither, which makes it hard to produce a positive reaction," Spalletti said.
Roma's inspirational captain Francesco Totti is a doubt for Tuesday after he missed the Juve game because of pain in the knee he had surgery on last season.
Italy midfielder Alberto Aquilani also looks set to miss out again with the thigh problem he sustained in the 1-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge two weeks ago.
All of which will make the swaggering London side, who went top of the Premier League with a 5-0 demolition of Sunderland on Saturday, confident of consolidating their position as Group A leaders.
Chelsea have seven points from three games, three more than Romania's CFR Cluj and four more than Roma and Bordeaux.
Manager Scolari told the club website (www.chelseafc.com) that French striker Nicolas Anelka will start on Tuesday after his hat-trick against Sunderland even though Didier Drogba came off the bench following a month out with knee and ankle knocks.
He also said Ashley Cole was unlikely to travel to Rome after the left back limped off on Saturday, with Wayne Bridge poised to fill in.
Scolari is also without injured defender Ricardo Carvalho (hamstring) and midfielders Michael Ballack (both feet) and Michael Essien (knee).
Probable teams:
AS Roma: 32-Doni; 2-Christian Panucci, 5-Philippe Mexes, 4-Juan, 17-John Arne Riise; 11-Rodrigo Taddei, 16-Daniele De Rossi, 7-David Pizarro, 20-Simone Perrotta, 9-Mirko Vucinic; 19-Julio Baptista
Chelsea: 1-Petr Cech; 17-Jose Bosingwa, 33-Alex, 26-John Terry, 18-Wayne Bridge; 10-Joe Cole, 12-John Obi-Mikel, 20-Deco, 8-Frank Lampard, 15-Florent Malouda; 39-Nicolas Anelka